The book of Sir Thomas More

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PRINTED FOR THE MALONE SOCIETY BY

HORACE HART M.A., AT THE

OXFORD UNIVERSITY

PRESS

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HE BOOK OF
SIR THOMAS MORE

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THE MALONE SOCIETY
REPRINTS Vc.^i
191 1

This edition of Sir Thomas More has been prepared
by the General Editor.

Nov. 191 1. W. W. Greg.

The manuscript of Sir Thomas More is preserved in the
British Museum, where it is classed as MS. Harley 7368. It has
therefore been in the possession of the nation since 1753, but
unfortunately nothing seems to be known as to its previous
history. A thin folio volume, the leaves of which measure
about 1 2| X 8| inches, it was originally covered with a vellum
wrapper formed of a double leaf of a Latin manuscript apparently
of the thirteenth century, and on this wrapper the title of the
play, * The Booke of Sir Thomas Moore,' was written in a large
formal hand. When the last edition of the Harleian Catalogue
was prepared in 1808 More formed one volume with the
Humorous Lovers (MS. 7367). These items have now been
separated, and More has been bound by itself. The original
wrapper is still preserved and now constitutes fols. i and 2.
Thus the play itself begins on fol. 3.

The number of leaves of which the manuscript originally
consisted cannot now be determined with certainty, for the
individual leaves have been detached and mounted, while the
closeness of the writing, the absorbent nature of the paper, and
in parts the heaviness of the mending, put any collation by
watermarks, if such exist, out of the question. AH we can say
is that thirteen original leaves remain and that there are two
lacunae. Thus we have fols. 3-5, gap, iq-ii, gap, 14-15,
17-22, the verso of the last leaf being blank. The other leaves
are later insertions. The extent of the lacunae is doubtful,
but to judge from the subject matter it would seem that after
fol. 5 possibly, and after fol. 1 1 probably, not more than a single
leaf is absent. In that case there presumably was once a blank
leaf at the end ; and if we imagine the original manuscript to
have consisted of eight sheets we shall not be far wrong.

But considerable additions have been made at a later date.
After fol. 5 has been inserted a leaf, fol. 6, written on one side
only, which we shall see belongs, if anywhere, to a much later
portion of the play. After fol. 6 appear three leaves, fols. 7-9,
the verso of the third being blank, designed to replace the
original leaf or leaves cancelled after fol. 5 as well as matter

deleted on fol. ^^ itself. So again after fol. 1 1 are inserted two
leaves, fols. 12 and 13, intended to fill the later lacuna and
replace most of fol. ii** and the whole of fol. 14*. Besides this
two slips of paper, each measuring about 6x5 inches, were
pasted over cancelled matter on the lower portions of fols. 11^
and 14^ respectively. They contain minor additions intended
to stand at the beginning and end of the main insertion of
fols. 1 2 and 1 3. These slips have recently been soaked off and
mounted as separate leaves, fols. 11* and 13*, so that the
underlying text can now be read for the first time since the
sixteenth century. Lastly, after fol. 15 we find one leaf, fol. 16,
of which the recto and part only of the verso are filled, containing
an addition to be made to the text on fol. 1 7^

The manuscript, especially the original portion, has un-
fortunately suffered considerably at the hand of time. The
margins of many of the leaves, in particular the top and bottom
edges and the outer corners, are discoloured and brittle, and
one would almost suppose that they had at some time been
exposed to fire, were it not for the comparatively uninjured state
of some at least of the additional leaves, and for the fact that
the cover, though also worn and damaged, does not exhibit the
crinkling which vellum always undergoes when exposed to heat.
The injury must therefore be ascribed to the action of air and
dust upon a peculiarly and unfortunately constituted paper.
Subsequent to the arrival of the manuscript at the British
Museum, I suppose at the time it was rebound, and certainly
not before 1844, the date of Dyce's edition, it has been thoroughly
and even drastically mended. Not only have the edges of the
leaves been repaired, and it would seem a good deal of the text
obliterated which more careful handling might have preserved,
but in the case of the tenderer leaves both sides have been
pasted over with thick yellow tracing paper, in a manner to
suggest that more importance was attached to the preservation
of a particular piece of paper than of the text of which it was
the medium. And even so the mischief has not been arrested,
for several of the leaves are now again in need of repair, which

vi

it may be presumed they will soon receive in a more careful and
reasonable manner.

Seven different hands appear in the manuscript itself, apart
from the vellum wrapper. To begin with there is the Scribe of
the original play, to whom I shall refer by the letter S. He
writes a good regular hand, not typically professional, rarely if
ever presenting serious difficulties except where it has been
obscured by extraneous causes. It is an English hand, with
Itahan forms freely, if not consistently, interspersed to distinguish
proper names and the like. On the whole little difficulty is
experienced in rendering the one by roman and the other by
italic type, the writer's intention being usually clear though the
two styles, particularly as regards majuscules, are not always
kept clearly apart. The fault of S is that the lines are written
very close together, often eighty or more to a folio page, and
that the descenders are of inordinate length, so that in a
particular line the reader is often bothered by the intrusion of
parts of letters belonging to two lines above. This would have
mattered less had the paper been better, but that used was
rather absorbent and showed every line through. The result is
that there are many passages, even on pages not covered with
tracing paper, where owing to the penetration of the ink the text
can only be laboriously spelt out letter by letter. Where we
have to contend with decay and repairs as well, the difficulties
are, of course, enormously increased and prove in some cases
insurmountable. The ink used is of a rich dark brown which
retains a good colour even when quite thin. The surface is
rather mat, perhaps owing to the absorbent quality of the paper.
The scribe's spelling is remarkable for its regularity, and even,
if we allow for a few peculiarities such as the doubling of the * o '
in words like * doth ' and * love ' and ' worthy ', for its modernity.
His punctuation too is as a rule adequate, and distinguishes itself
chiefly by a curious tendency to place a colon, particularly at
the end of the penultimate line of a speech, in cases where
a modem writer would hesitate to put any stop at all. This
peculiarity is also occasionally met with in printed plays of the

vii

period, and most likely indicates some rhetorical trick in the
delivery of Elizabethan actors. It is clear that the scribe was
both skilled and conscientious. His errors are few. As a rule
all his letters are well formed, but he was aware that there were
some exceptions. For instance, he was apt to neglect the head
of his * h ' ; and over and over again he has gone back and
carefully added the loop, although no real ambiguity could ever
arise from the defect.

Five distinct hands appear in the additions, and have been
lettered A to E. A appears on fol. 6 and nowhere else. It is
an English hand, almost devoid of Italian intermixture, clear
and legible with a good deal of individual character. The ink
is grey and shows hardly any tinge of brown except where the
paper has become stained near the edge. The punctuation is
rather scanty. The interest of the hand lies in the fact that the
writer was accustomed to the old convention with regard to
the use of * u ' and * v ', but was trying to adopt the new. He
instinctively and repeatedly writes ' u ' for a medial consonant,
but in two cases he has gone back and altered it to ' v '. It is
significant that he also uses the tailed * j ' with its modern value.

B is an interesting hand, being by far the worst in the volume.
It is a current hand of an English type, making little attempt at
the regular formation of individual letters, and therefore difficult
to reproduce in print. It is in fact the sort of hand in which an
author would write his rough draft. The punctuation is negligible.
In this hand are written fol. 7* and the whole of fol. 16. It also
appears in various marginal additions to the text as written by S,
namely at *502, *6o9, *638, *647. The same may be true as
regards the direction at *735 and the crosses at 418 and II 18,
but this is far from certain. The ink varies. On fol. 7* it is not
unlike that of S, but thinner and slightly yellower in colour.
So too in the marginal additions. On fol. 16, however, though
the colour appears to be the same the ink is much thicker and
darker.

C is the most important of the additional hands. In it are
written fols. 7^ 12*, I2^ 13% and the upper half of I3^ as well

viii

as 1 1 * and 1 3*. The scribe to whom it belonged also edits D
freely and adds frequent notes and directions both to B and S.
His work on the former will be found to run all through
II 123-270. His directions occur at 410, *S53, t954, tusS,
VI I, 33. It is not quite certain whether II 65 is his. Two
corrections in B, at II 17 and 42, may also be reasonably assigned
to his pen. His hand is well formed, both as regards English
and Italian script, and has more pretence to beauty or at least
ornament than any other appearing in the manuscript. For
punctuation there is little beyond a point which is usually placed
rather high, and even this is not of very frequent appearance.
A peculiarity of the hand is a marked tendency to form the ' p '
as if it were ' p '. The ink used is very similar to that of S,
possibly a trifle richer in colour but hardly distinguishable.
Like B's it varies somewhat, though not to the same extent.

D, a purely English hand apparently, occurs on fols. 8% 8^ 9*
only, the two former pages being now badly obscured by trac-
ing paper. It is certainly a different hand from C, with which
it has been sometimes confused, but C is found correcting it
rather freely. It has, for instance, the distinction of forming its
' p ' in the usual manner and of also using ' p ' repeatedly and
correctly. There is very little punctuation. The ink is quite
unmistakable, being of a peculiar muddy yellow. It is this hand /
which has been thought to be Shakespeare's.

The last additional hand, E, is found only on the lower half of
fol. I3\ English and Italian st}4es are used and adequately
distinguished, though neither is very carefully formed. The
short passage is rather fully punctuated, a characteristic being
the partiality for the colon, which regularly appears after the
speaker's name (as in certain printed plays) and sometimes at
the end of speeches. The ink is distinctly blacker than that
used by C, but still brown rather than grey. A comparison with
MS. Addit. 30262, fol. 66^ at the British Museum, and with
Henslowe's Diary, fols. loi and 1 14, at Dulwich College, suggests
that this hand may be Thomas Dekker's. There is at least
what I should call a strong resemblance between the two.

ix b

Sir George Warner says, a certain resemblance. We probably
mean much the same thing, and this may perhaps be best
expressed by a negative, namely that there is nothing in the two
hands to suggest that they are not the same. Repeated com-
parison has deepened my own feeling that they are.

Finally we have the hand of Edmund Tilney, Master of the
Revels, and in that capacity censor of the drama. He writes in
the margin of the first page (fol. 3*) a very conditional licence.
In this his hand appears in a clear Italian script, of no very
individual character. The ink used is not unlike that of S, but
slightly blacker in colour, in fact very close to E's. He also
made a note, 'Mend y**', in the margin of fol. 5* {320), and
another, 'all altr" (?), on fol. 17^ (11256), and is responsible for
some other marks of disapproval on the same pages. Three
alterations made by him in the text also occur on fol. 5*, at 352,
364, 368. Probable marks of his appear on fol. 3* (see 24 and
45) and may be connected with his initial note. His hand is
designated by the letter T.

Tilney does not seem to have been responsible for the note
on fol. 11^ (*735), which Dyce printed as 'This must be newe
written ', but which is now almost illegible. If it is by any of
the hands mentioned, B would seem the most likely, but it is of
course quite possible that the above list is incomplete. For
instance, it is not quite certain whether the marginal note at V i
is in the same hand as the text, while a few of the alterations
ascribed to C are, it will be noticed, doubtful. There are also
indications that a much later hand has been at work on the
manuscript here and there. A word has been scribbled in the
margin of fol. 3** (see 1 1 1 and p. xx below) in what looks like
modern ink, though it is impossible to make certain through the
covering of tracing paper. Alterations almost certainly in
modern ink occur at II 22, 52, 264, VI 26, 47, 52, 53, 61 ; less
certain are those at II 193, ti203, and 62, this last line being
obscured by tracing paper. At tiii7 and finQ there appear
to be modern blots. Further there are a number of small
pencil crosses (which will be found mentioned in the notes) which

must have been made in quite modern times, though before the
manuscript was repaired.

Something must be said as to the manner in which the
additions have been made. Addition I is altogether rather
a puzzle. It evidently has some connexion with the proposed
omissions on fol. 19*. The reason for these is hardly clear.
The fear of possible offence in 11491-3 is no adequate reason for
the deletion of 11471-1 501, and can have nothing whatever to do
with that of f 1 506- 1 6. Moreover these deletions leave f 1 502-5
in impossibly awkward isolation ; nor is it easy to combine these
lines with the proposed addition. Clearly in this case the
process of revision is incomplete. Addition VI, on the other
hand, is perfectly straightforward, being an additional scene
inserted at the juncture of two original ones on fol. 1 7*. The
new scene was written by B, and fitted into its place by C.
There remain the two substantial insertions corresponding to
the two lacunae in the original text Both present interesting
features. I take the second first.

Between fols. 1 1 and 1 4 two leaves are inserted (Addition IV).
These contain a long continuous scene in which first More
and Faukner, then More and Erasmus, and then again More
and Faukner, are the chief characters. The four pages contain
242 lines. Portions of the unrevised version of this scene fill
most of fol. 11^ (*735-96) with More and Erasmus, and the
whole of fol. 14* (1797-877) with More and Faukner dialogue.
This makes 143 lines, so that, supposing only a single leaf lost,
the original text must have been distinctly longer than the
revised. It is of course not certain whether the original text
was continuous, or whether there were two distinct scenes, but
the appearance of Surrey in both parts suggests the former
alternative as the more likely. In that case the chief alteration
made in revision was to cut the Faukner portion into two and
to insert the Erasmus part in the middle. This seems on the
whole to have been an improvement dramatically, though the
advantage was perhaps gained at some sacrifice of clearness in
the action. But the reviser's efforts did not end here. A speech

xi

by More (Addition III) was written on a loose slip and pasted
on to fol. II^ It was clearly an afterthought and has no very
close connexion with what follows, though from its position it is
fairly evident that it was meant to be somehow inserted at the
beginning of the main addition. On another slip (Addition V),
pasted on to fol. 14*, was written another speech by More, and
this was definitely connected with what follows, the first words on
fol. 14'' being repeated at the foot of the slip. And yet such a
crude insertion is manifestly impossible, for the action is not
continuous. The only means of utilizing this speech and a yet
later addition made in the margin, is by constituting them a
separate scene, though this does not appear to have been the
intention of the writer.

Equally complicated, though in a different way, is the revision
that supplements the first lacuna (Addition II). On fol. <,^ we
find an entire scene, that of the riots, cancelled, as is also all
that remains of a scene between certain prentices. After the
break the text resumes on fol. 10* in the middle of the scene
in which More quells the insurrection. The inserted matter
contains a revision of the riot scene, a scene apparently at the
Guildhall of which no trace survives in the original text, and
a new beginning to the insurrection scene, made to fit on to
the old part immediately after More's speech to the rebels. The
prentice scene vanishes. Its place would seem to have been taken
by the Guildhall scene. This I conjecture to be entirely new.
It reports in the opening speeches the wounding of Sir John
Munday by certain prentices, an incident which was presumably
represented in the cancelled scene. Moreover if my surmise is
correct the matter altogether lost from the original manuscript
(the end of scene v and beginning of scene vi) can reasonably
be supposed to have filled one leaf, while if we have to allow
for an earlier draft of the Guildhall scene (scene v*) as well, it is
difficult to see how the lost matter could either have been con-
tained in one leaf or have filled two. The revision of scene iv
is in hand B, scene v* and the initial stage direction to scene vi
(all on fol. 7^) are written by C, and then comes the astonishing

xii

addition by D. Round this much controversy has centred.
The writer has no respect for, perhaps no knowledge of, the
play on which he is working. His characters are unrecognizable.
He is indifferent to the personae. He writes ' other' and leaves
it to C to assign the speech to whom he pleases. In H 233
and following he begins by writing a sentence which in the
absence of punctuation it is almost impossible not to misread,
then alters and interlines till it becomes impossible to follow
his intention, and leaves it to C to clear up the confusion.
This C does by boldly excising some three lines and inserting
one makeshift half-line of his own. Yet these hasty pages of
D's have individual qualities which mark them off sharply from
the rest of the play. There is wit in the humours of the crowd,
there is something like passion in More's oratory. So striking
indeed are these qualities that more than one critic has persuaded
himself that the lines in question can have come from no pen
but Shakespeare's. The possibility acquires additional interest
from the fact that the passage is undoubtedly autograph. Here
possibly are three pages, one of them still legible, in the hand
that so many have desired to see. The question is one of
stylistic evidence, and each reader will have to judge for himself.
I do not feel called upon to pronounce : but I will say this much,
that it seems to me an eminently reasonable view that would
assign this passage to the writer who, as I believe, foisted certain
of the Jack Cade scenes into the second part of Henry VI.
In spite of the undoubted literary merit of D's additions, I cannot
myself regard them with the admiration they have aroused in
some critics.

It seems always to have been assumed that the play was
submitted to Tilney in its original form and that the alterations
and substitutions now found in the manuscript are the result of
an attempt to comply with the censor's demands. This appears
to me an error. His directions are specific and urgent. * Leave
out the insurrection wholly and the cause thereof,' says Tilney,
' and begin with Sir Thomas More at the Mayor's sessions, with
a report afterwards of his good service done, being Shrieve of

xni

London, upon a mutiny against the Lombards, only by a short
report and not otherwise, at your perils.' And we are to suppose
that in the face of this the actors allowed the first scene, con-
taining the cause of the riots, to stand unaltered, went to the
trouble and expense of making an elaborate revision of the in-
surrection scenes, which whatever its literary merit can hardly
have been supposed to meet the political objection, and then
ventured to put the play on the stage. That is to say they
behaved as though there were no Master of the Revels, no Privy
Council, and no Star Chamber. Only collective insanity could
account for such a proceeding. But I do not think any such
supposition necessary, for every indication in the manuscript
points to its having been submitted for licence in its present
form. The indications, it is true, are not many but they are
significant. Besides Tilney's general directions as to the
insurrection, he left specific notes on two passages that incurred
his censure. Against a speech of Shrewsbury's at the top of
fol- 5* (316-23) he has written 'Mend this', and has apparently
signified his disapproval of another passage on the same page
(372, &c.). The ground of the objection is obviously certain
injudicious comments on the dangerous topic of popular dis-
content. So again, in the scene at the Privy Council in
which More refuses to sign the articles sent by the king, the
censor has struck out an important passage (fol. I7^ 11247-75)
and written in the margin a not very legible note, by which
however he clearly meant that the whole of this portion was to
be altered. Yet in neither case has any notice whatever been
taken of the censor's orders. I cannot quote any certain instance
of an alteration made by Tilney himself in the portions of the
play that have undergone revision, but I would call attention to
the heavy scoring by which the first two speeches on fol. 7^
(II 68-75) are marked for omission. It is not impossible that
this may be in Tilney's own hand, though from the colour of the
ink it may perfectly well be in the same hand as the text (C).
But the reason for the omission was most certainly neither
literary nor dramatic, but political. The lines describe how

xiv

Sir John Munday was wounded in the riots, and if not actually
struck out by the censor were certainly condemned in deference
to his views. But it is evident throughout that the manuscript
has not been finally revised for presentation. Everywhere
passages are marked for omission, but whether the objection
was aesthetic or official, the marks are merely vague indications
of what was objectionable, and no attempt is made to sew the
loose ends into decent contijiuity. The censor or a scribe
under his influence strike out the opening speeches of two scenes
(iii and v*, 316 and II 68), and they are left truncated: the
censor draws his pen through the description of More's contumacy
(ti247, &c.), and no attempt is made to find a substitute for
it, though its loss would make the catastrophe unintelligible.
The bulk of the additional matter, the Erasmus-Faukner scene
with its adjuncts (III, IV, V; fols. 11*, 12, 13, 13*) and the
last player-scene {VI ; fol. 16), as also the ' More in melancholy '
passage (I ; fol. 6), can have nothing whatever to do with the
censor, being obviously due solely to dramatic considerations.
Add to this that the rest of the alterations (II; fols. 7, 8, 9),
which do affect the portions condemned by the censor, are as
natural from the point of view of literary revision as they are
inexplicable as an attempt to meet the official objections, and
I do not see how it is possible to avoid the conclusion that they
were already in the manuscript when this was submitted for
licence. When it returned bearing Tilney's remarks, it became
clear, as I should have thought it would have been clear to
critics from the outset, that it was quite impossible to comply
with the demands of the censor without eviscerating the play in
a manner fatal to its success on the stage. The manuscript was
consequently laid aside and the play never came on the boards.
This, I think, is the obvious conclusion, and if it has not been
drawn before, it is presumably because the occurrence in the
manuscript of the name of an actor as filling one of the minor
parts (V 2, fol. 13*) has been supposed to indicate that the play
was actually performed. But clearly the only deduction that
the evidence warrants is that the play was cast, which, as

XV

many managers are painfully aware, is by no means the same
thing.

Another common assumption has been that the diversity of
hands represents diversity of authorship, and in this case the
inference is on the face of it not unreasonable. It needs,
however, careful testing. Whether the original draft is in the
autograph of the original author is uncertain. It is, of course,
a fair copy, but there is no reason why a fair copy should not
be made by the author himself. Indeed there is definite
evidence from the first quarter of the seventeenth century that
this was at least not unusual. The hand (S) is by no means
typical of the professional scribe of the time. The duplicate
endings (11956-86) show that the draft was either written by
the author himself or under his immediate supervision, but the
latter is perhaps as likely as the former. The point is I think
settled by one small item of evidence. This is the queer word
'fashis' in 11847. ^^ should be 'fashion', and there seems no
reasonable doubt that the writer has misread an *6' as a final
' s '. This is quite an easy mistake, for the two resemble one
another closely in some hands, but it is a mistake of which it is
almost impossible to suppose that an author would be guilty in
copying his own work. I shall therefore assume, what has
indeed I think been the general view, that the original text of
the play is not autograph.

But if this is so there is nothing to prevent one of the additional
hands from being that of the original author. Let us therefore
examine these rather more carefully. A is unquestionably an
independent writer and not a copyist. The alterations in his
draft of More's speech on fol. 6 put that beyond question. But
the occasion of his addition, which has never like the rest been
fitted into its place, and even the exact lines which it is intended
to replace, are uncertain. He seems to be an author working
independently of the rest, and possibly somewhat later. Although
I cannot honestly say that I detect any marked difference of style
between the original scene and the addition, it seems to me
unlikely that we have in A a writer who was concerned in more

xvi

than the single passage preserved in his own hand. The case
is still clearer with D. While his three pages are unquestionably
autograph, the individuality of his style makes it quite evident
that it was for these alone that he was responsible. E is more
doubtful. If it is Dekker's hand the passage is likely to be a bit
of original composition. The alteration in IV 236 has the
appearance of an author's correction. But the passage is rather
roughly though legibly written, apparently as an afterthought
and with the deliberate intention of filling up the odd half-page.
There is no indication that the writer was responsible for more
than these few lines.

The two remaining hands clearly belong to a different cate-
gory', for their work pervades the whole manuscript instead of
being confined to a particular passage as is the case with A, D, E.
B is undoubtedly an original author, for he writes roughly and
often barely legibly. He scribbles his text first and inserts the
names of the speakers afterwards (see fol. 16*, VI 21-35) or
forgets them altogether (fol. 11*, *649-58). When revising
a scene of the original text he writes a string of names so badly
that either he or some one else has to put a reference mark to
the cancelled passage in order that the reader may be able to
make out what is intended (fol. 5^ 418-21; fol. 7*, II 18-20).
It is probable that he is the author of a good deal of the addi-
tional matter which is not actually in his hand. For on fol. 16''
he writes in a blank space the rough and altered draft of some
lines (VI 68-73) which we find copied by C into their proper
context on fol. 13* (V 2-7). His marginal additions to the
original text already noticed go to show that he exercised
a general supervision and was probably from a literary point of
view responsible for the alteration which the play was undergoing.
It would be interesting if it could be shown that he actually
was, as I have surmised, responsible for the marginal note on
fol. 11'' (*735-6) ordering the revision of the Erasmus-Faukner
scene, but unfortunately this is not certain.

C, as we have just seen, is found transcribing B. In this case
at least, therefore, he is not an original author but a copyist,

xvii c

and there is no reason to suppose that he is anything more
elsewhere. None of the alterations in his portion of the text
are conclusive for authorship. But he is nevertheless a very
important person. He revises the stage directions throughout,
both in the original text and in the additions, and seems respon-
sible (as is most clearly shown in the case of VI) for fitting the
latter into their places. As B seems to have had the literary, so
C appears to have had the dramatic, side of the revision under
his charge. He can patch up a line or two when needed, and
edits D, a careless writer, freely, but I do not think that there
is anything to suggest that he was an independent author. My
own impression is that A, D, and E were each responsible for
the portions found in their own hands and no more, and that B
wrote those passages where either his own hand or that of C
appears.

The question whether B had anything to do with the original
text of the play is a much more difficult one. It is conceivable
that he may have been the original author. At any rate I can
detect no difference in style between the portions written by S
and those written by B and C. B is the only one of the addi-
tional scribes who makes marginal additions to the original text,
and his additions show him to have entered fully into the spirit
of that original. They are less like grafts than natural
offshoots of the dialogue. Moreover we may well question
whether any one but the author himself would have troubled to
make the revision of scene iv for the sake of the trifling altera-
tions introduced (fol. 5^ 412-52; fol. 7*, II 1-64). On the
other hand, I am unable to point to any evidence that C was
liable to the peculiar graphic ambiguity which seems to underly
S's misreading * fashis ' (see above), and I am aware that I have
perhaps carried the discussion beyond the bounds of profitable
conjecture. All I will add is this, that supposing the original
text to be the work of a single author, and supposing that
author's hand to occur anywhere in the extant manuscript, then
the evidence points to that hand being B. There is this to be
said in favour of his claim, that he is the only one of the writers

xviii

in question who was manifestly incapable of making his own
fair copy.

One minor point of considerable interest is the play performed
at More's banquet, to which the title of The Marriage of Wit
and Wisdom is given. This fragment has nothing to do with
the piece now known by that name, but is in fact a somewhat
altered version of a scene from Lusty yuventus, to which is
prefixed a prologue of which the first eight lines are taken from
that to the Disobedient Child.

The date of the play has been a good deal disputed. Tilney's
note does not necessarily imply a date before 1607, and I do
not myself see that his objection to the insurrection scene need
have been connected with any particular events. The mention
of 'Mason among the Kings players' (11151) might be thought
to point to 1603 or later, but of Mason himself nothing is
known, and anachronism, though always possible, is not de rigeur
in our early drama. Anachronistic certainly are the references
(tioo6, tii48) to Oagle the wigmaker, for a John Ogle or
Owgle appears in this capacity in the Revels' accounts for
1572-3 and 1584-5 (Cunningham, 21, 38, 193). These refer-
ences would seem to favour a somewhat earlier date, and such
is put practically beyond question by the palaeographical evi-
dence, which Sir George Warner is confident points to the
sixteenth century. If the conjecture that would connect one of
the additions with Henry VI be correct, it would throw back
the date of the former, and a fortiori of the original text, to
quite early in the nineties. Some such year as 1592 or 1593
would also be supported by the mention, at V 2, of T. Goodal ;
a name which likewise serves to connect the play with
Lord Strange's men, Shakespeare's company. For Goodal or
Goodale took the role of a Councillor in the second part of the
Seven Deadly Sins, a piece acted by Strange's players, of which
a plot and cast probably belonging to 1592 is extant. The only
other mention of him is as early as 1581, when on 11 July he
is named in a document of the City of London as one of
Lord Berkeley's players who were engaged in an affray with

xix

certain gentlemen of Gray's Inn (Harrison's Description of
England, New Shakspere Soc, part iv, suppl., \ 2, p. 320, where
the document is printed without reference). A Baptiste Goodale
is included in a forged list of ' her Majesty's poore Playeres . . .
sharers in the blacke Fryers playehouse' in Nov. 1589 printed
by Collier {Shakespeare, i. cviii), but it is not known whether
this rests on any genuine information. Anyhow Collier proceeds
to identify his Baptiste with the T. Goodal of the manuscript,
which is manifestly unreasonable. He further states (i. cix)
that Laneham also acted in Sir Thomas More. But the only
possible trace of Laneham to be found in the manuscript is the
somewhat illegible scribble in the margin of fol. 3^ (m)' ^^^
since this is very probably in modern ink it cannot be accepted
as altogether satisfactory evidence.

Sir Thomas More was first edited by Dyce, his edition being
issued by the Shakespeare Society in 1844. It is certainly open
to the criticism which has been passed upon it, that it represents
neither the original nor the revised text, but a confused com-
promise between the two. Other faults are that it seldom takes
any notice of marks of omission, and that as regards minor
deletions it generally either retains or omits them arbitrarily and
without warning (cf. *509). Contractions are expanded ; capitals,
italics, and punctuation are the editor's. Since, however, the text
was prepared at a time when the damage to the manuscript
appears to have been considerably less than at present, and in
particular before the rather disastrous attempts at reparation
had been made, it is in many cases our sole authority for whole
lines, and its readings everywhere deserve the respectful con-
sideration of the modern editor. For, of whatever errors of
judgement Dyce may have been guilty in constructing his text,
the fundamental work of transcription was for the most part
executed with exemplary care, in spite of what, even in a less
ruinous state of the original, must still have been very consider-
able difficulties. So far as I can ascertain the number of verbal
readings in which the present text differs from Dyce's exceeds
two hundred by six. It is conceivable that in spite of my

XX

best endeavour I may in some of these instances be wrong ; it is
certain that some are matter of opinion, though I have made
it a rule to bow to Dyce's authority in doubtful cases unless
I felt pretty certain that he was wrong. But these cases are
not many. Of the remainder, the great majority are minutiae
of a trivial kind. The number of substantial misreadings is not
much more than a dozen all told ; the worst being ' wrought ' for
* prouokte ' (289), ' hayday ' for ' hazard ' (1 1 1 2 1), ' leve cavell ' for
' live Civell ' (IV 188), and the silent omission of two rather obscure
words in ti5o6. This is I think a remarkable achievement in
a manuscript of the length and difficulty of More. To say so
may seem an indirect boast on my part, but I am in reality
keenly alive to the fact that if, as I hope and believe, my text is
not only formally but verbally a good deal more faithful than
Dyce's, this is in great measure due to my having had his work
at hand as a constant check upon my own.

The only other edition that requires mention is that in
Mr. Tucker Brooke's volume entitled The Shakespearian Apo-
crypha, Oxford, 1908. Although the editor has adopted the
revised text rather more frankly than his predecessor, his edition
yet remains open to the same rather serious objections as
Dyce's. Verbally his text can claim no original authority. It
is an almost unaltered reprint of Dyce's, and of the two
hundred and six errors I have imputed to that editor, Mr. Tucker
Brooke corrects exactly six ^252 '(Aside.)', 435, tii97, ti847
'sits', II III, IV 218) while he introduces two new errors of
his own (261 '(Aside.)', IV 173 'laudant'). Dyce, apart from
an occasional slip (which I have recorded) follows the manuscript
exactly in his use of ' u ' and ' v ' : he is, however, not to be
trusted in the matter of ' i ' and ' j ', his system being at fault (I
have neglected his variants in this respect). I have failed to find
any principle underlying Mr. Tucker Brooke's procedure : he is not
consistent in following the manuscript, neither does he conform
either to the ancient or to the modem convention : similar confusion
reigns as regards capitals and contractions. His perfunctory and
inaccurate introduction does not call for discussion in this place.

xxi

Besides the two editions mentioned there exists a photographic
facsimile of the manuscript prepared by Mr. R. B. Fleming and
issued in a series of Tudor Facsimile Texts. It is the full size
of the original and leaves nothing to be desired in the way of
technical execution, but of course the covering of tracing paper
and the staining of the margins render many passages hopeless
for the photographer. What purpose of general utility it was
thought that a facsimile of which a large part is absolutely
illegible could serve, I do not know, but to me it has proved
invaluable, indeed without its help I should have hardly found
the present work possible. It is also incidentally of value in
preserving intact one or two passages which have since been
damaged in the manuscript.

It remains to say something as to the present edition. The
rules which govern the editing of the Malone Society's texts
of course forbade any attempt to patch up a compromise
between the original and revised versions of the play. On the
other hand there were obvious drawbacks to printing the manu-
script exactly as it stood. After some hesitation therefore
I determined to print first the whole of the original text so far
as it has been preserved, and then to gather together at the
end all the various attempts at revision in so far as they were
made on separate leaves and did not merely consist of trifling
additions or directions written in the margins of the original
sheets. These insertions I have printed in the order in which
they at present stand in the manuscript, and have numbered
them I-VI. The hand in which any particular passage is
written I have indicated in the headline and more minutely in
the notes. Any addition or alteration (of a whole word or more)
made in a hand different from that of the text of that passage,
is distinguished by the substitution of small capitals for lower-
case type ; specific information concerning the hand being added
in the notes.

As usual I have endeavoured in my edition to follow the
arrangement of the original as closely as possible. All deletions
are indicated by square brackets, except in certain cases where

xxii

the ink in which they are made seems certainly to be modern.
Of such no notice has been taken in the text itself. Inter-
lineations are printed in the text at the point at which they
appear to belong, without other distinction than an explanatory
note. Where an interlineation replaces a deleted word it is
printed immediately after it, and the deletion and interlineation
may be taken as due to the same hand. Mere deletions and
similar marks it is usually impossible to assign to any particular
hand : where they are not stated to be in a different ink from
that used by the scribe of the passage in which they occur, they
may generally be taken as being probably by him, though the
inference is by no means always safe. Passages marked for
omission or cancelled are not treated as deleted but are dis-
tinguished by a line down the left side, the habitual mark used
in the original. All mutilations of the manuscript, and all
passages which are for whatever reason indecipherable, are
indicated by pointed brackets. Words occurring within these
brackets are those which Dyce purported to have read there,
but which are no longer legible. The occurrence of pointed
brackets does not however necessarily mean that anything is
lost from the text. They may merely indicate that the leaf is
mutilated or obscured, so that if there was any writing at that
point it is now lost. Where a mutilation occurs in or at the end
of a line and extends to the right margin, only the initial bracket
is inserted, the end of the line-space being taken to close the
bracket Since, however, it is usual to read from left to right,
this rule has not been applied to the beginnings of lines. Where
these are mutilated the initial bracket is placed in the margin
(if the mutilation extends to the edge) and the closing bracket
at the point at which the text becomes legible.

For the convenience of analysis and reference I have divided
the original draft, so far as it is extant, into scenes, which I have
indicated in the notes and headlines. The scenes of the revision
I have numbered in connexion with these. The lines of the
original text I have also numbered consecutively, including those
which I have supposed lost at the top and bottom margins.

xxiii

Since, however, the text is not really continuous throughout
I have distinguished the lines after the first lacuna by an
asterisk, and those after the second by an obelus. The lines of
each of the six additions have been numbered separately.
In three instances (I 65-71, II 63-5, V 1-8) I have brought
lines actually written up the margin into their regular place in
the text ; twice (1-19, *502) I have been forced, by typographical
considerations, to place a marginal addition, and once (11932)
a deleted reading, in the footnotes.

I ought finally to explain the manner in which my text has
been prepared, for I am afraid that it cannot claim to be quite
such an original and independent work as those published by
the Malone Society aim at being. This was inevitable, for the
case is a peculiar one. For the pages of the original which are
not covered with tracing paper I made my transcript from the
photographic facsimile above mentioned, merely referring to
Dyce's edition when any special difficulty arose, and for the
occasional lines which have become illegible since his time.
For the covered pages I based my transcript primarily on Dyce,
referring constantly to the facsimile as a guide to the general
arrangement. At first I intended to put forward my text, so far
as these pages were concerned, as frankly representing that of
Dyce checked where possible by reference to the now illegible
original. On examining this more minutely, however, it seemed
to me that the case was not quite as desperate as I had
imagined. When the obscured leaves are held up to a sufficiently
strong transmitted light there is very little of the text that
cannot be made out if sufficient trouble is taken. The process
is not an easy one, for when so examined the writing on either
side of the leaf shows about equally clearly, but it is at least
possible. Favoured therefore by the exceptional summer of
1 911, I resolved to adopt it and to make the manuscript
in all cases my authority, indicating by brackets everything
that I was unable myself to read. Of course it frequently
happened that in the case of particular words and letters it was
difficult to say honestly whether they were actually legible in

xxiv

the manuscript or not, and I am not prepared to assert that
I could always have deciphered them without the help of Dyce's
text, but I think I may say that in the case of every letter not
printed within pointed brackets I have been able to distinguish
it sufficiently clearly to act as an effective check upon Dyce's
reading. It will be seen that I have occasionally differed from
Dyce even in comparatively obscure passages, but I have been
alive to the temerity of such proceeding and have not ventured
to displace any reading of his without what seemed to me fairly
conclusive evidence.

The manuscript appears to have suffered rather seriously
since Dyce's day. In the original portions there is hardly
a page on which his text does not supply at least a few words
now irrecoverably lost. All words or letters which he purports
to have read but which have now vanished I have printed in
my text within pointed brackets. I have given them in the
form in which he gives them, without contractions, but in order
to avoid anything misleading I have printed them without
punctuation and with only such capitals and italics as can with
reasonable certainty be inferred from the practice of the scribe,
Dyce having pleased his own fancy in these matters. When
quoting Dyce's readings in the notes, I have also omitted
punctuation but have retained his capitals. Words which Dyce
supplied in his text within square brackets, as having either
disappeared from the original through mutilation, or been
omitted by the scribe through accident — he unfortunately did
not distinguish the two cases — I have rejected from the text
altogether, but have recorded them (with Dyce's capitals and
punctuation) in the notes. Thus the student will be at once
aware when anything appears in the text which I do not pretend
to have read with my own eyes, while by consulting the notes
he will be able to supply whatever Dyce thought necessary to
the comprehension of the text. The authority attaching to the
readings preserved by Dyce but no longer decipherable depends
upon his general accuracy, which is high. They may as a rule
I think be accepted as tolerably certain, for it is clear that

XXV d

his edition was prepared with both skill and caution. Never-
theless it is impossible to accord them implicit confidence, for
at least one passage {II 218) suggests that on occasions Dyce
resorted to conjecture in a manner that can only be deplored.

I have described how my transcript was made. When it was
finished I first read with the original manuscript all those
passages in which I had been obliged to rely upon Dyce*s text,
and then sent the whole to press. The proofs were of course
read throughout with the original, particularly the pages covered
with tracing paper being minutely collated with all the care of
which I was capable. The whole proofs were also read pro-
fessionally both with Dyce's edition and Tucker Brooke's, and
all discrepancies so revealed I checked by reference to the manu-
script. That absolute accuracy has been attained I do not for
a moment suppose, but I have some hope that if in the future
any one should undertake the labour of a fresh collation he will
be able to report that I have done my task in a conscientious and
fairly competent manner. In such a case as the present I do
not think that any editor can reasonably expect better success
than that.

The following is an analysis of the text as it stands in the
present edition. When a scene begins elsewhere than at the
top of the page the line number is added.

Fol. 3*. Sc. i. Discontent in the City.

3^ Sc. ii. The Mayors Sessions. Begins at 104.

5*. Sc. iii. News of the riots reaches the Court.
5\ Sc. iv. Riot scene (cancelled). Begins at 410.

Sc. V. Prentice scene (imperfect and cancelled). Begins
at 453.
First lacuna.
10*. Sc. vi. Insurrection scene (beginning wanting, part

cancelled),
lo''. Sc. vii. Reprieve scene. Begins at *566.

xxvi

II*.

II ^ Sc. viiids. Erasmus scene (imperfect and cancelled).

Begins at *735.
Second lacuna.

1 4*. Sc. viii b. Faukner scene (beginning wanting, cancelled).
14^ Sc. ix. Banquet scene.

15*. 15'.

17*. Sc. X. Privy Council scene. Begins at 11158.

18*. Sc. xi. Mores retirement. Begins at 1 128 2.

18*'. Sc. xii. Rochester in the Tower. Begins at fisSo.

Sc. xiii. More's arrest (part cancelled ?). Begins
at tHii-
19*, 19^

20*. Sc xiv. More arrives at the Tower. Begins at 1 1603,
i&. Sc. XV. More's servants.

Sc. xvi. More in the Tower. Begins at ti728.
21*.
21^ Sc. xvii. Execution scene. Begins at ti86i.

Addition I.

6* (6** blank). Hand A. Revision of part of sc. xiii.
Lines 1-71.
Addition II.

7*. Hand B. Revision of sc. iv. Lines 1-65.

7^ Hand C. Sc. iv*. Lines 66-120 (121-2 = s.d. to

sc. vi).
8*. Hand D. Revision of first part of sc. vi. Lines

123-68.
8^ Lines 169-218. 9*. Lines 219-70. (9** blank).
Addition III.

n*b (ii*» blank). Hand C. Insertion at beginning of
sc. viii as revised. Lines 1-22.
Addition IV.

12*. Hand C. Revision of sc. viii. Lines 1-60.
12^ Lines 61-121. 13*. Lines 122-81.

x.xvii

I3^ Lines 182-2 ii.

Hand E. Revision continued. Lines 212-42.
Addition V.

13** (13*'' blank). Hand C. Sc. viii*. Lines 1-26.
Addition VI.

I6^ Hand B. Sc. ix*. Lines 1-62.

I6^ Lines 63-7. (Lines 68-73 = rough draft of V 1-7.)

The above analysis takes no account of the small additions
on fols. 10* (*502), 10^ {*6io), and 11* (*638, *6^y), and notices
only those cancels in the original text which affect the additions.
With the same limitations the following references give a con-
tinuous revised text, so far as such can be constructed, the
additional passages being enclosed in parentheses :

Fols. 3% 3^ 4*, 4^ 5», 5^ to 409, (7% 7^ 8^ 8^ 9»,) 10*^ from

♦476, Io^ 11% 11^ to *734, (II*^ 12% I2^ 13*, 13% 13**,) i4\

I5^ I5^ 17* to tii57, (i6% 16'' to VI 67,) 17* from fiiS^, I7^

i8% I8^ 19* to ti47o, (6%) I9^ 20*, 2o^ 21% 2I^ 22*.

Facsimiles illustrating the seven different hands appearing
in the manuscript accompany the present edition. They are
slightly reduced.

In closing this lengthy preface, gratitude no less than candour
suggests that I should acknowledge the obligation I am under to
the unvarying kindness of Sir George Warner, late Keeper of
Manuscripts at the British Museum. He most obligingly
acceded to my suggestion that the additional slips now forming
fols. II* and 13* should be detached from the leaves upon
which they were pasted, or, I believe, glued. He allowed me
to consult him upon the date of the manuscript, and upon the
identity of hand E, and helped me in various small difficulties
of reading. He caused Tilney's note on fol, 3* to be relieved of
its covering of tracing paper in order that a photograph might
be obtained. Finally when a dispute arose as to the reading at
the end of line 56, he had another small piece of the covering
removed. Unfortunately this failed to settle the point: for

xxviii

whereas Dyce printed ' homes ', Sir George maintains that the
word should be * house ', while I feel confident that it is * bounds '.
I regret this small difference of opinion, but with all deference
to authority I feel bound to back my own conviction. My
personal debt it is a pleasure to recall and to record, and I have
no doubt but that all members of the Malone Society will
appreciate the obligation under which they too indirectly lie to
the late Keeper's courtesy and learning.

XXIX

List of Characters
in order of appearance.

John Lincoln, a broker.

George Betts.

a Clown, his brother.

Francis de Bard, a Lombard.

Doll, wife to Williamson.

Caveler, a Lombard.

Williamson, a carpenter.

Sherwin, a goldsmith.

The Lord Mayor.

Justice Suresby.

Sir Thomas More.

Smart, a plaintiff.

Lifter, a cut-purse.

The Recorder of London.

The Earl of Shrewsbury.

The Earl of Surrey.

Sir Thomas Palmer.

Sir Roger Cholmley.

a Messenger.

Harry ]

Robin i- prentices.

Kit J

Croftes.

a Sheriff.

a Messenger.

two Sheriffs' Officers.

Randall, servant to More.

Erasmus.

Jack Faukner, servant to Morris.

Morris, secretary to the Bishop of

Winchester.
Roper, son-in-law to More.
Lady More.
The Lady Mayoress.

) The Lord Cardinal's
I Players, in the

Inclination
Prologue

Tody Vanity \^TuW/ ^'^
Luggins -" ] ^^d Wtsdom.

The Bishop of ROCHESTER.

The Clerk of the Privy Council.

Mistress Roper, daughter to
More.

her Sister.

Catesby, steward of More's house-
hold.

a Servant of More's at Chelsea.

DOWNES, an Officer of Justice.

three Warders of the Tower.

a poor Woman, suitor to More.

Gentleman Porter of the Tower.

The Lieutenant of the Tower.

Ned, Butler

Robin, Brewer of More's

Giles, Porter household.

Ralph, Horsekeeper,

Gough, secretary to More.

a Servant of More's in the Tower.

two Sherififs.

a Sheriffs Officer.

a Hangman.

Sir John Munday. v

a Messenger.

a Sergeant at Arms.

a Sheriff.

a Messenger.

a Servant of More's.

In the
Additions.

XXX

Justices, Sheriff, rioters, citizens, City Guard, attendants, serving-men,
waites, aldermen, ladies, Lords of the Council, Guard of the Tower.

The name of the Clown seems to be Ralph Betts (see *6S^). More's
daughters appear in sc ix (t956), the Lieutenant of the Tower in sc. xii
(11380), and Gough in sc. xiii (ti4ii, cf. 1507), but have no parts till later.
In the additions one of the Cardinal's players, either the Prologue or the
boy, is called Clown (VI 61).

XXXI

-K^

Upper Portion of Fol. 3'

n>

i

ihi

■oiio,

rifi

h^

'i% t^

i o fr^i

A»*--

/,

iM^s

-t:

1
s

'^^^Ukoi

Lower Portion of Fol. 6»

^ .^

■ %

Lower Portion of Fou 7*

•4

■ri^1,dl4

■■5 1

Upper Portion of Fol. 9*

Upper Pcwition of Fol. i2»

.* . V.

^

)? 7 X ^ t

I

•^

^

►rsL

|1

Lower Portion of Fol. i^'^

Lower Portiok op Fol. ai*

The Booke of Sir

Thomas Moore

FOL. 2'*

Enter at (one end lohn Lincolne with FOL. 3*

together, at the other end enters ffraunces (de
a lustie woman, he haling her by the (arme
[Doli.] whether wilt thou hale me ?

[Bard.] whether I please, thou art my prize and I ple(ade purchase) of thee

[Do//.] Purchase of me? away ye Rascall, I am an honest plaine Carpenters (wife

and thoughe I haue no beautie to like a husband yet what soeuer is (mine scor

nes to stoupe to a straunger : hand off then when I bid thee.

[Bard.] Goe with me quietly, or He compell thee. 9

[Do//.] Compell me ye dogges face ? thou thinkst thou hast the Goldsmithes (wife in

hand, whom thou enticedst from her husband with all his plate, and (when

N.B. — In these notes S indicates the hand of the original Scribe, and T that of Edmund Tilney. A, B, C, D, E
lenote the five hands responsible for the additions. Alterations not noted as being in a different hand or ink
ire to be taken as by the scribe of that portion of the text in which they occur. In cases where an interlineation follows
I deletion, the same hand is to be supposed responsible for both unless the contrary is stated,
i The lines of writing have been numbered consecutively throughout the original draft, but as they are not really
bontinuous, those after the first lacuna are distinguished by an asterisk, and those after the second by an obelus.
The additions made on inserted leaves are collected at the end of the text and numbered I to VI. The lines in
tach are numbered separately : thus IV 212 means line 212 of addition IV.

The title is written on the vellum wrapper, now fols. i and 2, consisting of two leaves of an old Latin MS.

I Scene i.

I &c. This page has been covered with tracing paper, which has now been removed in two places.

1-19 In the left-hand margin opposite these lines is a note by the Master of the Revels, to whom the play was
•rubmitted for licence. He has crossed out most of the speakers' names in these lines and has written over the top
)f one. His note rims :

(Leaue out ) [ y* insur(rection) ^ | ' wholy & | y* Cause ther off' & | (b)egin w' S' Tho: | Moore

.tt * y* mayors sessions | w* a reportt afterward j | off his good servic' ' j don being'* Shriue off Londo j vppo^ a mutiny
Vgaynst y* | Lubardy only by A shortt ] reportt & nott othervvise | att your own perrilles | E Tyllney

(* blot. * blot. ' /A^r oj"] Dyce thereoff * att\ Dyce at * servid\ Dyce service

bdng''\ Dyce being '' vppd] d altered.)

I Dyce supplies the two Bettses to fill the lacuna. 2 Dyce supplies Barde, and Do/i to fill the lacuiUL

10 Goldstnithes\ "Dyce goidstniiks

Sir Thomas More

[FoL. 3»

thou turndst
wifes boorde.

her home to him againe, madste him (like an Asse) pay for (his

Bard. So will I mak e thy husband too, if please me

Enter Caueler with a paire of dooues, Williamson the Carpenter and
Sherwin following him.
[Doll.] Heere he com es him selfe, tell him so if thou darste.
Catie. ffoUowe me n o further, I say thou shalt not haue them.
Wil. I bought them in Cheapeside, and paide my monie for them.
S/ter. He did Sir indeed, and you offer him wrong, bothe to take them from him, and
not restore him his monie neither.

for them, let it suffise that I possesse them, Beefe and
hindes, are Piggions meate for a coorse Carpenter?

Caue.

If he paid
may serue such

21

brewes

Lin

[It is hard when Englishmens pacience must be thus ietted on by straungers]

[and they not dare to reuendge their owne wrongs.]
Geo. Lincolne, lets beate them downe, and beare no more of these abuses.
Lin. we may not Betts, be pacient and heare more.
Doll [How now husband ? what, one straunger take thy food from thee, and another]

[thy wife ? bir Lady flesh and blood I thinke can hardly brooke that.]
Lin.
Geo.
Bard.

Wil.

Geo.
Bard.

30

[ will this geer e neuer be otherwise ? must these wrongs be thus endured ?]

[let vs step in, and help to reuendge their iniurie.]

what art thou that talkest of reuendge ? my Lord Ambassadour shall once more

make your M aior haue a check, if he punishe thee not for this saucie presumption(

Indeed my Lord Maior, on the Ambassadours complainte, sent me to Newgate (one
day, because (against my will) I tooke the wall of a straunger. you may doo a(ny
thing, the Go Idsmi(th's wife), and mine now must (b)e at your comaundment.

The more pacient fooles are ye bothe to suffer it.

Suffer it ? mend it thou or he if ye can or dare, I tell thee fellowe, and she were(
the Maior of Londons wife, had I her once in my possession, I would keep her in sp(ite
of him that durst say nay. 40

Geo. I tell thee Lombard, these wordes should cost thy best cappe, were I not cur(bd
by dutie and obedience. The Maior of Londons wife ? Oh God, shall it be thus ?

14 the speaker's name is covered by Tilney's writing.

24-5 marked for omission and crossed out; there is also a cross between the speaker's name and the text:
similar crosses appear opposite 11. 28-9 and 30-1 : in all cases both they and the accompanying marks of omission
and deletion appear to be in the ink used by T. 28-40 marked for omission. 28-9, 30-1 cf. 24-5.

34 Wil.] Dyce Will 36 cdmaundmeni.] Dyce comaundment 41 ihee\ Dyce the

/

Sc. i]

Original Text (S)

Doll, why Beites, am not I as deare to my husband, as my Lord Maiors wife to him, a(nd
wilt [he] thou so neglectly suffer [his] thineowne shame? Hands offproude stranger(or
him that bought me, if mens milkie harts (d)are not strike a straunger, yet (wo
men will beate them downe, ere they beare these abuses.

Bard.

Doll.

to Caueler.

Caue
DoU.

Sher.

Lin.

Geo.
Doll.
Lin.

Geo.

Wil.

Doll.

Mistresse, I say you shall along with me.

Touche not Doll Williamson, least she lay thee al(ong) on Gods deare earthe. An(d
you Sir, that allow such coorse cates to Carpenters, whilste Pidgions which th(ey
pay for, must serue your daintie appetite : deliuer them back to my husband aga(in
or He call so many women to myne assistance, as weele not leaue one inche vn-
tome of thee. If our husbands must be brideled by lawe, and forced to beare your
wrongs, their wiues will be a little lawelesse, and soundly beate ye. 53

Come away de Bard, and let vs goe complaine to my Lord Ambassadour — ex. Ainbo
I, goe, and send him among vs, and weele giue him his welcome too. I am as(hamed
that free borne Englishmen, hauing beatten straungers within their owne boun(
should thus be brau'de and abusde by them at home.

It is not our lack of courage in the cause, but the strict obedience that we a(re
bound too : I am the Goldsmith whose wrongs you talkte of, but how to redr(esse
yours or mine owne, is a matter beyond all our abilities. 60

Not so, not so my good freends, I, though a meane man, a Broaker by pr(ofe)ssion (and
namd lohn Lincolne, haue long time winckt at these vilde ennormitees (with mighty
impacience, and, as these two bretheren heere {Betses by name) can witnesse (with
losse of mine owne liffe would gladly remedie them

And he is in a good forwardnesse I tell ye, if all hit right.

As how, I pre thee ? tell it to Doll Willia{ni)son.

you knowe the Spittle Sermons begin the next weeke, I haue drawne (a

of our wrongs, and the stra(un)gers insolencies.

which he meanes the (pre)achers shall there openly p(u)blishe in the Pulpit(

Oh but that they would, (y)faith it would tickle (our straun)gers (thorowly

I, and if you men durst (not vndertake it before God we women

Dyce

44 wilt] t altered from / thou\ interlined. thine\ interlined. stranger] much damaged,

supplies by after or, whether as needed by the sense or to supply a lacuna does not appear, probably the latter.

45~(')75 marked for omission, probably by T. 46 these abuses.] damaged.

51 assistance,] Dyce assistaunce

56 boun] n doubtful, the word was presumably bounds : Dyce homes (Warner reads house)

62 namd] </ touched up in darker (? modem) ink. winckt] t apparently added in darker (possibly modem)

ink. ennormitees] second e doubtful, possibly /, but Dyce prints e.

67 Dyce supplies bill after a 71 Dyce supplies would. Take after women

A 2

Sir Thomas More

[FoLS. 3'

Sher.
Lin,

an honest woman fro(m her husband why it is intollerable

But ho w find e (ye the preachers affected to
M' (doctor stand ish

I FOL. 3" )
forme it and doubts not but happie successe will ensu our wrongs >

you shall) perceiue ther's no hurt in the Bill, heer's a copie of it, I pray ye, heare it.
All with all) our harts, for Gods sake read it 78

Z,7«) reads

Doll.

Sher.

Geo.

Doll.

(to you) all the worshipfull Lords and maisters of this Cittie, that will tak(e com
passion ouer the poore people your neighbours, and also of the greate importa(bl)e
h(ur)ts, losses and hinderaunces, wherof proceedeth extreame pouertie to all the
K(in)gs subiects, that inhabite within this Cittie and subburbs of the same, ffor
so (it) is that Aliens and straungers eate the bread from the fatherlesse children,
and take the lining from all the Artificers, and the entercourse from all Merchan(ts
wherby pouertie is so much encreased, that euery man bewayleth the miserie(
of other, for crafts men be brought to beggerie, and Merchants to needines.
wherfore, the premisses considered, the redresse must be of the comons, knit and
vnited to one parte. And as the hurt and damage greeueth all men, so must
all men see to their willing power for remedie, and not suffer the sayde
Aliens in their wealth, and the naturall borne men of this region to come -^
to confusion. 91

Before God, tis excellent, and He maintaine the suite to be honest.

well, say tis read, what is your further meaning in the matter?
what? marie list to me. No doubt but this will store vs with freends enow,
whose names we will (clos)ely keepe in writing, and on May day next in the
morning weele goe foorth a Maying, but make it the wurst May day for
the straungers that euer they sawe: how say ye? doo ye subscribe, or are ye
faintharted reuolters

Holde thee George Bettes, ther's my hand and my hart, by the Lord He make
a Captaine among ye, and doo somewhat to be talke of for euer after. 100

73 Dyce supplies our proceeding dSicr to

75 there is a slight trace of letters at the beginning of this line : Dyce marks one line lost at the turn of
the page.

76 &c. page covered with tracing paper. 76 (?)-io6 marked for omission ; 104-6 perhaps in error.
76 Dyce supplies re htiore. forme 79 reads] Dyce as if supplied.

79-80 the ends of these lines are obscured by blot in T's note which shows through from recto.
80 passion] damaged. ^7 of]o altered ? 96 foorth] Dycj&foorthe

Scs. i, ii] Original Text (S)

Wil. My maisters, ere we parte, lets freendly goe and drinke together, and sweare
true secrecie vppon our Hues.

Geo. There spake an Angell, come, let[s] vs along then. exeunt.

An Arras is drawne, and behinde it (as in Sessions) sit the L. Maior,
Justice Suresbie, and other Justices, Sheriffe Moore and the other Sherife
sitting by, Smart is the Plaintife, Lifter the prisoner at the barre.
L. Mai. Hauing dispachte our weightier businesses,
we may giue eare to pettie fellonies,
M"^. Sheriffe Moore, what is this fellowe?
Moore. My Lord, he stands indyted for a pursse, no

he hath bin tryed, the lurie is together.
L. Mai. who sent him in?
Sure. That did I my Lord,

Had he had right, he had bin hangd ere this,
the only captayne of the cutpursse crewe.
L. Mai. what is his name?

Sure. As his profession is, Lifter my Lord,

one th(at) c(an) lift a pursse right c(unn)ingly.
L. Mai. An(d is that) he accuses him ?

Sure Th(e s)ame my Lord, whom, by your honors leaue, lao

I (mu)st say somewhat too, because I finde,
in some respectes he is well woorthie blame.
L. Mai. Good M'. Justice Suresbie speake your minde,
we are well pleasde to giue you audience.
Sure. Heare me Smart, thou art a foolish fellowe, <

\{ Lifter be conuicted by the la we,
As, I see not how the lurie can acquit him :
He stand too't, thou art guiltie of his death.
Moore. My Lord, thats woorthe the hearing.
L. Mai. Listen then good Maister Moore. 130

103 /(?/] a final s has been crossed out in different (possibly modem) ink, of. II 264.

104, Scene ii.

106 Dyce supplies Recorder^ Officers, after barre. no indyted^ Dyce indited

11 1 in the left margin is a word in what seems to be modem ink ; apparently LatuhS. bat the atu is doubtful (cf.
p. xx).

112 L. Afai.] Dyce Mai 118 pursse] Dyce purse

6 Sir Thomas Move [Fols. 3^ 4*

Sure. I tell thee plaine, it is a shame for thee,

with such a sum to tempte necessitie.

No lesse then ten poundes Sir, will seme your turne,

to (c)arie in your pursse about with ye,

to crake and brag in Tauernes of your monie.

I promise ye, a man that goes a broade,

with an intent of trueth, meeting such a bootie

may be prouokte to that he neuer meante.

what makes so many pilferers and fellons,

but such fond baites that foolish people lay: 140

to tempt the needie miserable wretche.

(ten) poundes, odd monie, this is a prettie sum,

to (bea)re about, whic(h were) more safe at home,

(fore God twere well to fine y)e as much more / Lord Maior and Moo(re

( to the releefe of the po )soners, whisper.

( to teache ye be your ow)ne.

( rightlie) seru'de

(

Moore. Good my Lord, soothe a ( for once FOL. 4'

only to trye conclusions in this case
L. Maior Content good M'. Moore, /weele rise awhile, 151

And till the lurie can returne their verdict
walke in the garden : how saye ye Justices ?
All. we like it well my Lord, weele followe ye. /ex. L. Maior and Iust(ices

Moore. Nay Plaintife, goe you too, And Officers, / ex. Smart,

stand you aside, and leaue the prisoner
to me awhile : Lifter, come hether.
Lift, what is your woorships pleasure?
Moore. Sirra, ycm knowe that you are knowne to me

And I haue often sau'de ye from this place 160

140 that^ damaged. 141 miserable] middle letters damaged. 142 this] damaged.

145 Dyce supplies ore pri between /<? and soners,

148 no traces of this line remain ; what look like such probably show through from recto : but the
space would suggest that there was another line on the page, and Dyce shows the loss of one at the turn
of the leaf.

149 &c. page covered with tracing paper. 154 followe] Hyct follow

Sc. ii]

Original Text (S)

7

since first I came in Office : Thou seest beside,
that lustice Suresbie is thy heauie freend,

for all the blame that he pretends to Smarte :
for te mpting thee with such a summe of monie.

Lift.

I tell thee what, deuise me but a meanes,
to pick or cutt his pursse, and on my credit
and as I am a christian and a man
I will procure thy pardon for that least.
Good M^ Shreeue, seeke not my ouerthrowe,
you knowe Sir, I haue manie heauie freends
and more endictments like to come vppon me.
you are too deepe for me to deale withall,

you are knowne to be one of the wisest men that is in England.
I pray ye M^ Sheriffe, goe not aboute
to vndermine my (life)
Moore. Lifter ^ I am tru(e subiect to) my King,

thou much mist(akste) me and for thou shalt not thinke,

I meane by this to hurt thy life at all :

I will maintaine the act when thou hast doone it.

Thou knowest there are such matters in my hands,

as if I pleasde to giue them to the lurie :

I should not need this way to circumuent thee.

All that I aime at, is a merrie iest :

performe it Li fter, and expect my best.

I thanke your woorship, God preserue your life.

But M^ lustice Suresbie is gon in,

I knowe not h ow to c(om)e neere where he is.

Let me alone for that, He be thy setter,

He send him hether to thee presently, ^

vnder the couller of thine owne request,

of priuate mat ters to acquainte him with.

If ye doo so Sir, then let me alone

ffortie to one but then his pursse is gon.

well said, but see that thou diminish not

163-4 marked for omission. 163 for\ Dyce By

170

iSo

Lift.
Moore.

Lift.
Moore.

190

8 Sir Thomas More [Fols.4'

one penie of the monie, but giue it me,

It is the cunning act, that credits thee.
Lift. I will, good M^ Sheriffe, I assure ye. ex, Moore,

I see the purpose of this Gentleman

is but to check the fol(lie) of the Justice,

for blaming oth(er)s in a desperate case, 2o<

wherin hims(elfe) may fall as soone as any

To saue my life it is a (goo)d aduenter :

Silence there h oe : now (d)ooth the Justice enter. / Ent. lust. Suresbie.

Sure. Now Sirra, now what is your will with me?

wilt thou discha(rge thy co)nscience like an honest man ?

what sayst to (me sirr)a be breefe be breef.
Lift, As breefe Sir as (I can)

If ye stand f(a y)re, I will be bre(ef)e annon. aside.

Sure. Speake out an d mumbl(e n)ot, wh(a)t saist thou Sirra?

Lift, Sir, I am chargde as God shall be my comforte aic

with more then's true
Sure. Sir Sir, ye are indeed, with more then's true,

for you are flatly chargde with fellonie.

you'r chargde with more then trueth and that is theft,

more then a true man should be chargde withall

Thou art a varlet, that's no more then true,

Trifle not with me, doo not, doo not Sirra,

confesse but what thou knowest, I aske no more.
Lift. There be Sir, there be, ift shall please your woorship.
Sure. There be varlet what be there, tell me what there be ? 32c

Come off or o n, there be, what be there, knaue ?
Lift. There be Sir diuers very cunning fellowes,

that while you stand and looke them in the face :

will haue your pursse.
Sure, Th'art an honest knaue.

tell me what are they ? where they may be ca(ug)ht

I, those are they I looke for.

198-201 marked for omission. 203 a cross before the S.D. apparently in modem ink or pencil.

Sc. ii] Original Text (S)

Lift you talke of me Sir

Alas I am (a) punie : t(her)'s one indeed,

goes by (my name he puts downe all for pursses 230

as familiare as thou wilt my knaue FOL. 4*"

tis) this I long to (k)novve.

Lift And) you shall haue your longing ere ye goe. aside

This fellowe Sir, perhaps will meete ye thus,

Or thus, or thus, and in kinde complement, / action

pretend acquaintaunce, somewhat doubtfully,

And these embraces serue.
Sure. I marie Lifter, wherfore serue they? / shrugging gladly.

Lift Only to feele

whether you goe full vnder saile or no, 243

Or that your lading be aboord your Barke.
Sure. In playner English Lifter, if my pursse be storde or no ?
Lift, ye haue it Sir.
Sure. Excellent, excellent.
Lift. Then Sir, you cannot but for manners ScJce,

walke on with him, for he will walke your way :

Alleadging either you haue much forgot him,

or he mistakes you. aS©

Sure. But in this time has he my pursse or no ?
Lift. Not yet Sir, fye : / No nor I haue not yours. / Ent Lord Maior &c.

But now we must forbeare, my Lords retume.
Sure. A murren on't : Lifter, weele more annon.

I, thou sayst true, there are shrewde knaues indeed / he sits downe.

230 Dyce shows two whole lines missing between this and 233 ; since 233 corresponds on the verso
with 149 on the recto, and the latter is almost certainly the first line on the page, the hiatus may be taken
as occurring at the lower edge, though a trace of 231 only is visible. Dyce supplies the speaker's name.
Sure, to 1. 232, but this is evidently a mere guess : it seems more probable that the new speech began on
the verso wifii 233.

233 &c. page covered with tracing paper.

252 nor] interlined. « Dyce adds Aside, (referring to the second half of the line),but itis not in theMS.
He also places S.D. after 253.

B

36o
aside.

lo Sir Thomas More [Fols.4^. 5'

But let them gull me, widgen me, rooke me, foppe me,

y faith y faith, they are too sh(ort for) me.

knaues and fooles meete w(hen pursse)s goe,

wise men looke to their pursses w(ell) enough.
Moore. Lifter, is it doone ?

Lift, doone M^ Shreeue, and there it is.
Moore. Then builde vppon my woord. He saue thy life.
Recor. Lifter^ stand to the barre,

the lurie haue returnd thee guiltie, thou must dye,

according to the custome, looke to it M"^ Shreeue.
L. Maior. Then Gentlemen, as you are wunt to doo,

because as yet we haue no (buri)all place,

what charitie your meaning('s) to bestowe,

toward buriall of the prisoners now condemnde

let it be giuen, there is first for me. 270

Recor. And thers for me.
Another. And me.

Sure. Bodie of me my pursse is gon.
Moore. Gon Sir ? what heere ? how can that be ?
L. Maior. Against all reason, sitting on the benche ?

Sure. Lifter^ I talkte with you, you haue not lifted me ? ha ?
Lift. Suspect ye me Sir ? Oh what a world is this ?
Moore. But heare ye M^ Suresbie, are ye sure
ye had a pursse about ye ?
Sure. Sure M^ Shreeue, as sure as you a(r)e there, aSo

and in it seauen poundes odd mo(nie) on my faith.
Moore. Seauen poundes odd monie ? (w)hat were you so madd,
beeing a wiseman, and a Ma(gis)trate
to trust your pursse with suc(h a) liberall sum.
Seauen poundes, odd monie (f)ore G(od it) is a shame :
with such a summe to tempt (necessi)tie,
I promise ye, a man that go(es abroade)
with an intent of tr(u)eth, meeting (suc)h a bootie,

277 world^ r interlined.

Scs.ii, iii] Original Text (S) ii

may be prouokte to t(h>at he neuer tho(u)ght.

what makes so man(y) pilferers and fellons, 39°

but these fond baite(s) that foolish people lay :

to tempte the needie misera(ble) wretche

Should he be taken now that has your pursse,

Ide stand too't, you are guiltie of his death,

for questionlesse, he would be cast by lawe.

Twere a good deed to fine ye as much more

to the releefe of the poore prisoners,

to teache ye lock your monie (vp) at home.
Sure, well M^ Moore y(ou a)re a merie man,

I finde ye Sir, I finde ye well enough. 300

Moore. Nay, ye shall see Sir, trusting thus your monie,

and Lifter here in triall for like case,

But that the poore man is a prisoner,

it would be now suspected that he had it.

Thus may ye see what mischeefe often comes :

by the fond cariage of such needlesse summes.
L. Maior. Bele(e)ue me M^ Suresbie, this is straunge,

you beeing a man so setled in assuraunce,

will fall in that which you condemnd in other.
Moore. w(el)l M^ S(uresbie) the(re)s (your) pursse aga(y)ne, 310

(and all your monie feare nothing of) M(oor)e
( wisedome still the doore).

<

Enter the Earles of Shrewesipurie and Surrie Sir Thomas Palmer FOL. 5^
and Sir Roger Ckolmeley.
Shrew. My Lord of Surrey, and Sir Thomas Palmer,

might I with pacience tempte your graue aduise.
I tell ye true, that in these daungerous times,
I doo not like this frowning vulgare brow.

289 prouokte] Dyce wrought

313 Dyce indicates the loss of one line : there is room enough, though no trace remains.

314 Scene iii.

314 &c. page covered with tracing paper. 316-23 marked with a line and also a large cross by T.

317 aduise.] period doubtful, perhaps query-mark.

B a

12 Sir Thomas More [Fol-s""

Mend y"

My searching eye did neuer entertaine, 320

a more distracted countenaunce of greefe

then I haue late obseru'de

in the displeased comons of the Cittie.

Siir. Tis straunge, that from his princely clemencie,

So well a tempred mercie and a grace,

to all the Aliens in this fruitefuU land,

that this highe-creasted insolence should spring,

from them that breathe from his maiestick bountie,

that fatned with the trafficque of our countrey :

alreadie leape into his subiects face. 330

Pal. yet Sherwin hindred to commence his suite

against de Bard^ by the Ambassadour

by supplication made vnto the King.

who hauing first entic'de away his wife,

and gott his plate, neere woorth foure hundred pound,

to greeue some wronged Cittizens, that found,

this vile disgrace oft cast into their teeth :

of late sues Sherwin, and arrested him

for monie for the boording of his wife.
Sur. The more Knaue Bard, that vsing Sherwins goods, 340

dooth aske him interest for the occupation :

I like not that my Lord of Shrewesburie.

Hees ill bested, that lends a well pac'de horsse,

vnto a man that will not finde him meate.
Cholme. My Lord of Surrey will be pleasant still.
Pal. I beeing then imployed by your honors

to stay the broyle that fell about the same,

wher by perswasion I enforc'de the wrongs,

and vrgde the greefe of the displeased cittie ;

He answerd me and with a sollemne oathe 350

that if he had the Maior of Londons wife,

he would keepe her in despight of any [Englishe] mX

320 marginal note by T. y^] Dycey 352 wS] added by T.

Sc. iii]

Original Text (S)

13

360

Sur. Tis good Sir Thomas then for you and me,

your wife is dead, and I a Batcheler

If no man can possesse his wife alone,

I am glad Sir Thomas Palmer I haue none.
Choline. If a take my wife, a shall finde her meate.
Sur. And reason good (Sir Roger Cholmeley) too.

If these hott ffrenchemen needsly will haue sporte,

they should in kindnesse yet deffraye the charge.

Tis hard when men possesse our wiues in quiet :

and yet leaue vs in to discharge their diett.
Shrew. My Lord, our Catours shall not vse the markett,

for our prouision, but some [straunger] LOMBARD now :

will take the vittailes from him he hath bought.

A Carpenter, as I was late enformde,

who hauing bought a paire of dooues in Cheape,

immediatly a [ffrencheman] LOMBARD tooke them from him,

and beat the poore man for resisting him.

And when t(h)e fellowe did complaine his wrongs :

he was seuerely punis(h'd)e for his labour.

370

Sur.

Choline.

But if the Englishe blood be once but vp,

as I perceiue theire harts alreadie fu(l])

I feare me much, before their spleenes (be) coolde,

some of these saucie Aliens for their pride,

will pay for't soundly, wheresoere it lights.

this tyde of rage, that with the Eddie striues :

I feare me much will drowne too manie liues.

Now afore God, your honors, pardon me,

men of your place and greatnesse, are to blame,

I tell ye true my Lords, in that his Maiestie

is not informed of this base abuse,

and dayly wrongs are offered to his subiects

ffor if he were, I knowe his gracious wisedome,

would soone redresse it.

380

/ Enter a Messenger

364 lombard] interlined by T. 368 Lombard^ interlined by T.

372-85 marked with a line, and 372-8 with a cross as well ; both apparently by T.

14 Sir Thomas More [Fols-s^

Shrew. Sirra, what newes ?

Cholme. None good I feare

Mess

My Lord, ill newes, and wursse I feare will foUowe
if speedily it be not lookte vnto.

The Cittie (i)s in an vproare and the Maior, 390

is threatned if he (come ou)t of his (house
( a) number poo(re artifi

fearde what this) would come vnto. FOL. 5*

this) followes on the doctours publishing
) the bill of wrongs in publique at the Spittle.
Shrew), that doctor Beale may chaunce beshrewQ himselfe
for reading of the bill
Pal. Let vs goe gather forces to the Maior,

for quick suppressing this rebellious route. 400

Sur. Now I bethinke my selfe of Maister Moore,

one of the Sheriffes, a wise and learned Gentleman,
and in especiall fauour with the people.
He backt with other graue and sober men,
may by his gentle and perswasiue speeche
perhaps preuaile more then we can with power.
Shrew. Beleeue me, but your honor well aduises.
Let vs make haste, or I doo greatly feare :
some to their graues this mornings woorke will beare. exeunt.

Enter Lincolne
betts williamson

Doll. \Doll.

^nttr Lincolne, Be tses, Williamson, Sherwin and other armed, doll in ashirt(
of Maile, a head piece, sword and Buckler, a crewe attending.
Peace there I say, heare Captaine Lincolne speake, 41a

Keepe silence, till we knowe his minde at large.

388-(?)393 marked for omission. 388 wursse] Dyce wurse 392 Dyce supplies cers after artifi

393 Dyce indicates the loss of one line : no trace remains, but even more may have disappeared.

394 &c. page covered with tracing paper. 395 doctours] Dyce doctors
408 haste] interlined. or] DycQ for

410 Scene iv.

410-12 marginal direction by C. 410 Dyce supplies two before Betses

412-52 marked for omission. Dyce does not print this scene, but gives variants from it in the revised version,
II 1-64 (fol. r)'

Scs. iii, iv]

Original Text (S)

15

All.
Lin.

All.
Doll.

Sker.

Doll.

Geo.

Doll.
Will

Doll.

Geo.

Agreed, agreed, speake then braue Captaine Lincolne.

Come gallant bloods, you, whose free soules doo scorne

to beare th'enforced wrongs of Aliens.

Add rage to resolution, fire the houses

of these audacious straungers. This is S'. Martins

and yonder dwelles Mewtas a wealthie Piccarde, at the greene gate,

De Barde, Peter van Hollock^ Adrian Marline^

with many more outlandish fugitiues.

Shall these enioy more priueledge then we

in our owne countrie ? lets then become their slaues.

Since iustice keeps not them in greater awe

weele be our selues rough ministers at lawe.

420

ffire the houses, fire the houses.

I, for we may as well make bonfires on May day, as at Midsommer, weele
alter the day in the Calender, and set it downe in flaming letters.

Stay, that would much endaunger the whole Cittie
wherto I would not the least preiudice

430

No nor I neither, so may mine owne house be burnd for companie, He tell
ye what, weele drag the straungers out in to Moore feildes, and there bumbast(
them till they stinck againe.

Let some of vs enter the straungers houses,

and if we finde them there, then bringe them foorth.

/ ex. some and Sher.

If ye bringe them foorth before ye finde them, lie neuer allowe of that

Now Lads, how shall we labour in our safetie ?
I heare the Maior hath gathered men in Armes
and that Sheriffe Moore an houre agoe receiu'de
some of the priuie Councell in at Ludgate,
fforce now must make our peace or else we fall
twill soone be knowne we are the principall

440

And what of that ? if thou bee'st afrayd husband, goe home againe and hide
thy head, for by the Lord He haue a little sporte now I am at it.

Lets stand vppon our Guarde, and if they come
receiue them as they were our enemies.

418-21 a large cross in left margin, possibly by B (cf. II 18-20).
435 S}ier^ Dyce Sherwin 441 musi\ interlined.

/ En: Sher. & the rest.
432 bumbast\ st damaged.

i6

Sir Thomas More

[FoLS. 5^ lo*

Lin.

Sher.

Lin.

Harry.

Robin.

Har.

Kit.
Har.

Kit.
Har.

Kit.
Har.

Kit.

How now ? haue ye found anie ?

Not one, th'are fled.

Then fire the houses, that the Maior beeing busie,
about the quenching of them, we may scape.
Burne downe their kennelles let vs s( ) away,

least that this prooue to vs an ill May daye.

Enter (t)hree or foure Prentises of trades, with
Come, lay downe the Cudgelles. / Hoh Robin, you met vs well at Bunhill, to
haue you with vs a Mayng this morning ?

450

— exeunt.

a paire of Cudgelles.

ffaith Harrie, the head drawer at the Miter by the great Conduite, calld me vp,
and we went to breakefast into S^ Annes lane. But come, who beginnes?
In good faith I am cleane out of practise : when wast at Garrets schoole Harrie ?

Not this great while, neuer since I brake his vshers head, when he plaid his s(cho)l-
lers prize at the Starre in Bread streete, I vse all to George Philpots at D(ow
gate, hees the best back sworde man in England.
Bate me an Ace of that, quoth Bolton. 46a

He not bate ye a pinne on't Sir, for, by this cudgell tis true.

I will cudgell that oppinion out of ye : did you breake an vshers head Sir ?

I marie did I Sir.

I am very glad on't, you shall breake mine too and ye can.

Sirra, I pre thee what art thou ?

am a Prentise as thou art, seest thou now : He play with thee at blunt(

w(hy), I
) (heere) in Che(ape)side, and wh(en) t(ho)u hast doone, if thou beest angrie. He fight(
) I (with thee at in Moore feildes) I ha(ue> a swoord to serue my turne in a fa(uor

) com(e) lulie, (to) seru(e
473

\Here one or more original leaves are lost^

450 of'\ doubtful, possibly at

45 1 kennelles] s doubtful. s ] badly damaged, apparently straighte or straite

453 Scene v.

454-(?)472 marked for omission. 468 at] interlined. 470 Dyce supplies sharpe after at

472 Dyce indicates the loss of one line : no trace remains, but even more may have disappeared.

Scs. iv-vi] Original Text (S) 17

FoL. 10^

To persist in it, is present (deat)h. bu(t if) you yee(ld yourselues), no doubt, what (punish

ment you (in simplicitie haue incurred, his highnesse in mercie will moste (graciously

pardon.

All. we yeeld, and desire his highnesse mercie. /they lay by their weapo(ns

Moore, No doubt his maiestie will graunt it you

But you must yeeld to goe to seuerall prisons,

till that his highnesse will be further knowne.
All. Moste willingly, whether you will haue vs. •480

Shrew. Lord Maior, let them be sent to seuerall prisons,

and there in any case, be well intreated.

My Lord of Surrie, please you to take horsse,

and ride to Cheape side, where the Aldermen,

are with their seuerall companies in Armes.

will them to goe vnto their seuerall wardes,

bothe for the stay of further mutinie,

and for the apprehending of such persons :

as shall contend.
Sur. I goe my noble Lord. ex. Stir. •490

Shrew, weele straite goe tell his highnesse these good newes.

withall (Shreeue Moore) He tell him, how your breath :

hath ransomde many a subiect from sad death. ex. Shrew. & Cholin{

L. Maior. Lincolne and Sherwine, you shall bothe to Newgate,

the rest vnto the Counters.
Pal. Goe, guarde them hence, a little breath well spent,

cheates expectation in his fairst euent.
Doll, well Sheriffe Moore, thou hast doone more with thy good woordes, then all they

could with their weapons : giue me thy hand, keepe thy promise now for the Kings par(

don, or by the Lord He call thee a plaine Conie catcher. 'Boo

Lin. ffarewell Shreeue Moore, and as we yeeld by thee

473 For fols. 6-9 see later among Additions.

473 Scene vi.

473-5 marked for omission.

474 (/«] sic, parenthesis not dosed. highnesse] the letters russ, still legible in the facsimile, are now broken
away in the MS. will} II altered from se

483 take\ k altered ? 499 me\ interlined.

i8

Sir Thomas More

[FOLS. 10'' '

so make our peace, then thou dealst honestly.

L. Maior. Maister Shreeue Moore, you haue preseru'de the Cittie,
from a moste daungerous fierce comotion.
fifor if this limbe of riot heere in S* Martins,
had ioynd with other braunches of the cittie,
that did begin to kindle, twould haue bred,
great rage, that rage, much murder would haue fed.
not Steele but eloquence hath wrought this good,
you haue redeemde vs from much threatned blood.

they are led away.

\_Pai:\
[Sh .]
Moore.

•510

L. Maior.
Shrew.

My Lord, and bretheren, what I heere haue spoke,

my countries looue, and next, the Citties care :

enioynde me to, which since it thus preuailes,

thinke, God hath made weake Moore his instrument,

to thwart seditions violent intent.

I thinke twere best my Lord, some two houres hence,

we meete at the Guilde hall, and there determine,

that thorow euery warde, the watche be clad

in Armour, but especially prouide

that at the Cittie gates, selected men,

substantiall Cittizens doo warde to night,

for feare of further mischeife.

It shall be so.

but yond me thinks my Lord of Shrewesburie.

My Lord, his maiestie sends loouing thankes,

to you, your bretheren, and his faithfull subiects

your carefull Cittizens. But M^ Moore, to you,

•5ao

Ent. Shrew.

502 there is a marginal addition by B referred to this place by a guiding line :

do I and saue vs from the gallowes eles a deales debble | honnestlye
(a deales debble\ Dyce a denies debble which he interprets as ' a devil's dibble ' though the sense of this is not
apparent, deales is very probably on graphic grounds and is supported by *502. debble or dobble seems most
likely a corruption of </i?z/// used adverbially.)

The addition is now written down the right margin : a first attempt to write it across the margin above the S.D.
in *502 failed and was smudged out.

506 ioynd'\ Dyce ioind

509-10 marked for omission. Dyce prints these lines without comment as part of the Lord Mayor's speech.

510 the speaker's name was presumably Shrew, who is not on the stage; hence perhaps the omission.
threalned] second / altered ? 515 seditions'] might be seditious 522 mischeife] « altered?

523 the rules round the S.D. may have been added by C.

Sc. vi] Original Text (S) 19

a rougher, yet as kinde a salutation,

your name is yet too short, nay, you must kneele,

a Knights creation is thys Knightly Steele. •530

Rise vp S^ Thomas Moore.
Moore. I thanke his highnesse for thus honoring me.
Shrew. This is but first taste of his princely fauour,

for it hath pleased his high maiestie,

(noating your wisedome and deseruing meritt,)

to put this staffe of honor in your hand,

for he hath chose you of his priuie Councell.
Moore. My Lord, for to denye my Soueraignes bountie,

were to drop precious stones into the heapes

whence first they came, [from whence they'd nere retume,] '540

to vrdge my imperfections in excuse,

were all as stale as custome. No my Lord,

my seruice is my Kings, good reason why :

since life or death hangs on our Soueraignes eye.
L. Maior. His maiestie hath honord much the cittie

in this his princely choise.
Moore. My Lord and bretheren,

though I (departe for m)y looue (sha)ll rest

<

(I now must) sleepe (in courte), sounde sleepes forbeare, FOL, lO**

the Chamberlain to state is publique care.

yet in this rising of my priuate blood : -SS^

Enter Crofts my studious thoughts shall tend the citties good. / Ent. Croftes

Shrew. How now Croftes ? what newes ?
Croftes. My Lord, his highnesse sends expresse commaunde,
that a record be entred of this riott,

539 were^ first e altered from h 544 pencil cross at end.

548 there are some traces of darker ink about the middle of the lacuna, which probably indicate a deletion.

549 Dyce indicates the loss of a line : there is no trace, but it must presumably have occurred at the bottom of
the page.

551 Ckamberlain] the C which is still legible though damaged in the facsimile has disappeared wholly from
the MS.

553 S.D. in left margin added by C.

C 2

20

Sir Thomas More

[FOL.

And that the cheefe and capitall offendours
be theron straite arraignde, for him selfe intends
to sit in person on the rest to morrowe
at Westminster.

Shrew. Lord Maior, you heare your charge.

Come good Sir Thomas Moore, to Court let's hye
you are th'appeaser of this mutinie.

Moore. My Lord farewell, new dayes begets new tides

Life whirles bout fate, then to a graue it slydes. —
Enter M^ SherifTe, and meete a Messenger.

Sheriff. Messenger, what newes ?
Mess. Is execution yet performde ?

Sheriff. Not yet, the Cartes stand readie at the stayres,
and they shall presently away to Tibourne.

Messe. Stay M^ Shreeue, it is the Councelles pleasure,
for more example in so bad a case,
a libbit be erected in Cheapside,
hard by the Standerd, whether you must bring
Lincolne, and those that were the cheefe with him,
to suffer death, and that immediatly.

Sheriff. It shalbe doone Sir. Officers, be speedie
call for a libbit, see it be erected,
others make haste to Newgate, bid them bring,
the prisoners hether, for they heere must dye.
Away I say, and see no time be slackt.
Off. we goe Sir.

Sheriff. Thats well said fellowes, now you doo your dutie -
God for his pittie help these troublous times
The streetes stopte vp with gazing multitudes,
commaund our armed Officers with Halberds,
make way for entraunce of the prisoners.

'560

exeunt seuerally.

•570

/ Ent. Officers
ex. Mess.

»58o

ex. some seuerally, others
set vp the libbit

566 Scene vii. Dyce supplies with Officers after Sheriffe

568 there is a small cross in the same ink as the text before the speaker's name.

575-6 Dyce omits s.D. 577 Dyce supplies s.D. Ex. Mess, after Sir. 580 heere\ Dyce here

583-96 marked for omission. 583 other s\ s covered by mounting paper.

Scs.vi,vii] Original Text (S) 21

Let proclamation once againe be made,

that euery housholder, on paine of deathe

keep in his Prentises, and euery man, •590

stand with a weapon readie at his doore,

as he will answere to the contrary.

Off.
Sheriffe.

He see it doone Sir. exit, enter another Officer.

Bring them away to execution,

the writt is come abooue two houres since,

the Cittie will be fynde for this n^lect.

Off. Thers such a preasse and multitude at Newgate,

they cannot bring the Cartes vnto the stayres

to [bring] take the prisoners in.
Sheriff. Then let them come on foote, •600

we may not dally time with great comaund.
Off. Some of the Benche Sir, thinke it very fit

that stay be made, and giue it out abroade

the execution is deferd till morning,

And when the streetes shall be a little cleerd,

to chaine them vp, and suddenly dispatch it. / The Prisoners are brought

Sheriff. Stay, in meane time me thinkes they come along. in well guarded.

See, they are comming, so, tis very well.

Bring Lincolne there the first vnto the tree. —
Lin. I knewe the first Sir, did belong to me. ' — CLO. I FOR I CRY LAG •610

This the olde prouerbe now compleate dooth make, SiR

that Lincolne should be hangd for Londons sake.

A Gods name, lets to woorke : ffellowe, dispatche, / he goes vp.

I was the formoste man in this rebellion

and I the formoste that must dye for it.

597 pfeasse\ Dyce presse 598 vnlo\ Dyce onio 599 brtng'\ g unfinished.

602 cross as in '568. 605 be\ interlined. 606 broughi\ ht covered by mounting paper.

607 Stay^ in] in possibly deleted.

6lo-ii marginal addition by B. An attempt was first made to write the addition immediately
opposite *6o9, but this was smudged out : the words do I cry Lag are however still clearly visible.

610 lag\ Dyce printed lug which is equally possible as far as the form of the letter is concerned : lag
however is dearly right on the ground of sense and is supported by the deleted first attempt which has
Lag quite clearly.

613 lets\ Dyce let vs

22 Sir Thomas More [Fols. ^o^^I»

Doll. Brauely lohn Lincolne^ let thy death expresse,

that as thou Hu'dst a man, thou dyedst no lesse.
Lin. Doll Williamson, thine eyes shall witnesse it.

Then to all you that come to viewe mine end,

I must confesse, I had no ill intent, «6ao

but against such as wrongd vs ouer much.

And now I can perceiue, it was not fit,

that priuate men should carue out their redresse,

which way they list, no, learne it now by me

obedience is the best in eche degree.

And asking mercie meekely of my King,

I paciently submit me to the lawe.

But God forgiue them that were cause of it.

and as a Christian, truely from my hart :

I likewise craue (they) wo(uld forgiue me) too. •630

<

that others by example (of the same) FOL. 11*

hencefoorth be warned (to) attempt the like

gainst any alien that repaireth heth(er)

fare ye well all, the next time that we meete

1 trust in heauen we shall eche other greete. / he leapes off

Doll, ffarewell lohn Lincolne, say all what they can :

thou liu'dst a good fellowe, and dyedst an honest man. CLO WOLD I WEARE SO

Sheriff. Bring Williamson there forwarde. FARRE ON MY lURNEY

Doll. Good M'. Shreeue, I haue an earnest suite, THE first stretche IS

and as you are a man deny't me not. the wor ste ME THINKS

Sheriff, woman, what is it ? be it in my power, •64J

thou shalt obtayne it.

Doll. Let me dye next Sir, that is all I craue,

you knowe not what a comforte you shall bring

to my poore hart to dye before my husband.

617 dyedsi\ t altered ? 631 Dyce indicates the loss of a line, and some trace is visible.

632 &c. page covered with tracing paper as far as 683 inclusive.

636 heauen\ second e altered ?

638-41 marginal addition by B. 641 worsted Dyce werste

Sc. vii]

Original Text (S)

'2-'h

CLO Sir and I haue

A SUITE TO YOU TOO
WHAT IS YTT

THAT AS YOU HAUE *^lo
HANGD LINCOLNE FIRST &
WILL HANGE HIR NEXTE
SO [that] YOU WILL NOTT
HANGE ME AT ALL
NAYE YOU SET OPE THE
COUNTER GATES AND YO<U
MUST HANGE THE FOLYE
WELL T HEN SO MUCH FORiY"^

»66o

Sheriff. Bring her to death, she shall haue her desire.

Doll. Sir, your free bountie much contents my minde,

Commend me to that good Shreeue M^ Moore,

and tell him had't not bin for his perswasion,

lohn Lincolne had not hung heere as he does.

we would first haue lockt vp in Leaden hall,

and there bin burnt to ashes with the roofe.
Sheriff, woman, what M'. Moore did, was a subiects dutie,

and hath so pleasde our gracious Lord the King,

that he is hence remoou'de to higher place,

and made of Councell to his Maiestie.
Doll, well is he woorthie of it by my troth,

an honest, wise, well spoken Gentleman,

yet would I praise his honestie much more,

if he had kept his woord, and sau'de our Hues,

but let that passe, men are but men, and so,

woords are but wordes, and payes not what men owe.

Now husband, since perhaps the world may say,

that through my meanes thou comste thus to thy end :

heere I beginne this cuppe of death to thee,

because thou shalt be sure to taste no wursse,

then I haue taken, that must goe before thee.

what though I be a woman, thats no matter,

I doo owe God a death, and I must pay him.

Husband, giue me thy hand, be not dismayed,

this charre beeing charde, then all our debt is payd.

Only two little babes we leaue behinde vs,

and all I can bequeathe them at this time,

is but the looue of some good honest freend :

to bring them vp in charitable sorte.

what maisters, he goes vpright that neuer haltes,

647-58 marginal addition by B. Dyce supplies speakers' names, alternatively Sher. and C/<7., without indication
that they are not in the MS.

652 Dyce supplies bin after haue 657 Dyce supplies/^r after hange folye] Dyce fofy

658 he] interlined. y] Dyce // 663 payes] Dyce paies 664 Now] Dyce You

.670

24 Sir Thomas More [Fols. n'."

and they may Hue to mend their parents faultes.
Will, why well sayd wife, yfaith thou cheerst my hart,

giue me thy hand, lets kisse, and so lets part. / he kisses her on the ladder. •680

Doll, The next kisse wilHamson, shalbe in heauen.

Now cheerely Lads, George Bets, a hand with thee,

and thine too Rafe, and thine good honest Sherwin.

Now let me tell the women of this towne,

No straunger yet brought doll to lying downe.

So long as I an Englishman can see,

Nor ffrenche nor dutche shall get a kisse of me.

And when that I am dead, for me yet say,

I dyed in scorne to be a straungers preye. / a great shout and noise,

within. Pardon, Pardon, pardon, pardon Enter Surrey. tepo

Roome for the Eale of Surrey, roome there roome.
Sur. Saue the mans life, if it be possible.
Sheriff. It is too late my Lord, hees dead alreadie.
Sur. I tell ye M"', Sheriffe, you are too forwarde,

to make such haste with men vnto their death,

I thinke your paines will merit little thankes

since that his Highnesse is so mercifull,

as not to spill the blood of any subiect.
Sheriff. My noble Lord, would we so much had knowen,

the Councelles warrant hastened our dispatche, .700

it had not else bin doone so suddenly :
Sur. Sir Thomas Moore humbly vppon his knee,

did begge the Hues of all, since on his woord

they did so gently yeeld. The King hath graunted it,

and made him Lord high Chauncellour of England,

according as he woorthily deserues.

Since Lincolnes life cannot be had againe,

then for the rest, from my dread Soueraignes lippes,

I heere pronounce free pardon for them all.
All. God saue the King, God saue the King, / flinging (vp cappes •710

689 Dyce supplies within after noise 691 Eale\ sic for Earle : Dyce Erie

Scs. vii, viiia] Original Text (S) 25

my good Lord Chauncellour and the Earle of Surrey.
Doll. And doll desires it from her very hart,

Moores name may Hue for this right noble part.

And w(hen)soere we talke of ill May day :

(praise Moore
Sur. I(n ho)pe his highnesse clemencie (and) mercie, FOL. 11^

w(h)ich in the armes of milde and meeke compassion

would rather clip you, as the loouing Nursse

oft dooth the waywarde Infant, then to leaue you,

to the sharp rodd of Justice so to drawe you, *^*<i

to shun such lewde assemblies, as beget

vnlawfuU riots and such trayterous acts,

that striking with the hand of priuate hate,

maime your deare countrie with a publique wounde.

Oh God, that mercie, w^hose maiestick browe,

should be vnwrinckled, and that awefuU iustice,

which looketh through a vaile of sufferaunce

vppon the frailtie of the multitude

should with the clamours of outragious wrongs,

be stird and wakened thus to punishment. •73°

But your deserued death he dooth forgiue,

who giues you life, pray all he long may Hue
All. God saue the King, God saue the King,

my good Lord Chauncellour and the Earle of Surrey. exeunt.

(this) MUST BENEWE A table beeing couered with a greene Carpet, a state Cushion on it,
(WRITT)EN and the Pursse and Mace lying thereon Enter Sir Thomas Moore and

his man Randall with him, attyred like him.
Moore. \ Come on Sir, are you readie ?

714 day i'X Dyce daie

715 the word after Moore is almost certainly ivhose: various other tall letters are visible, but nothing can be
made out clearly : the line presumably rimed. The rule which presumably marked off the speech has disappeared.

716 &c. page covered with tracing paper as far as 760 inclusive.
726-30 (? for 725-30) marked for omission.

735 Scene viii a.

735-96 marked for omission and heavily crossed out.

735-6 the marginal note, which is now partly illegible, is in an uncertain hand, possibly B.

D

26

Sir Thomas More

[FOL. II*

Ran.
Moore.

Ran.
Moore.

Ran

Moore.

Sur.

yes my Lord, I stand but vppon a fewe pointes, I shall haue doone presently,
Is it your honors pleasure that I should [be] growe proude now ? •740

I, I must haue thee proude, or else thou'lt nere

be neere allyed to greatnesse : obserue me Sir.

The learned Clarke Erasmus is arriu'de

within our Englishe Courte, this day I heare,

he feasteth with an Englishe honourd Poett

the Earle of Surrey, and I knowe this night

the famous Clarke of Roterdame will visite

Sir Thomas Moore, therfore Sir, act my parte,

there, take my place furnishte with pursse and Mace.

He see if great Erasmus can distinguishe

merit and outward ceremonie : obserue me Sirra,

He be thy glasse, dresse thy behauiour

according to my cariage, but beware

thou talke not ouermuch, for twill betray thee.

who prates not oft, seemes wise, his witt fewe scan,

whilste the tounge blabs tales of th'imperfect man.

►750

I conceiue your Lordship, and haue learnde your shift so well, that I must needes
be apprehensiue[ ]. The waites playes within

This Musique telles vs, that the Earle is come

with learnde Erasmus. Now my Lord Chauncellour,

Act like a formall Player our graue parte.

►760

I pray ye my Lord, let me comaund ye to leaue me, if I doo it not in kew, let
your Lordship bannishe me from the wearing of a golde chaine for euer.

They come now, set thy countenaunce, act thy parte
with a firme boldnesse, and thou winnest my hart. -

exit

Musique, enter Surrey ^ Erasmus and attendants.
Now great Erasmus^ you approche the presence,
of a moste learned woorthie Gentleman.
This little He holdes not a truer freend

740 growe\ interlined. 742 greatnesse ;] « interlined. 745 honourd] Dyce honoured

748 act my] Dyce acting 757 Lordship] ship interlined.

749 furnishte] Dyc&furnisht 758 apprehensiue.] some mark after the final e has been crossed out.
761-96 till lately covered by fol. 11*: consequently not printed by Dyce.

Sc, viiia]

Original Text (S)

27

Eras.

Sur.

Eras.

Sur.

)

vnto the Artes : nor dooth his greatnesse add
a feigned florishe to his woorthie meritt.
Hees great in studie, thats the statists grace,
that gaines more reuerence then the outward place.

Reporte my Lord hath crost the narrow Seas,
and to the seuerall partes of Christendome
hath borne the fame of your Lord Chauncellour.
I longd to see him, whom with loouing thoughts
I in my studie oft haue visited.
Is yond Sir Thomas ?

It is Erasmus.

Now doo you viewe the honorablest Scholler,

the moste religious Politician,

the woorthiest Councellour that tends our state.

That Studie is the generall watche of England,

In it, the Princes safetie, and the peace,

that shines vppon our comon weale, [is] are forgde.

vppon the golden Anuile of his braine.

who cures the Realme, such care attends the great,

that minde and bodie must together sweate.

His Lordship hath some weightie busines sure,
for see, as yet he takes no notice of vs.
I thinke twere best I doo my dutie to him
in a short Latine speeche.

It will doo well,

hees the best linguist that we haue in England.

Cum tua virtusy {amplissimi^ )doctissime que vir) (

►770

1780

►790

[Here one or more original leaves are lost.'\

772 statists] /altered. 786 are] interlined. 792 1 thinke] /doubtful. 793 in] doubtful.

796 considerable traces, apparently of two further words, remain, but not enough to lead so far to the
restoration of the reading. The word next after vir is almost entirely indecipherable, but may possibly
end in as ; the next probably begins peruen

D 2

28

Sir Thomas More

[FoL. i4»

Faulk.

Shrew.

Sur.

Moore.
Faulk.
Moore.
Faulk.
Moore.

Sur.
Faulk.
Moore.

Methinkes this straunge and Ruffinlike disguise,
fits not the follower of a secretarie.

My Lord, I weare my haire vppon a vow.

But for no penaunce of your sinnes I feare.

FOL. 14*

tSoo

No, hees no haire-cloth man, though he weare haire.

ffaulkener, how long ist since you cutt your locks ?

Three yeares my Lord.

How long wilt be before your vow expire ?

As many yeares as since my haire was cut.

Sure, vowes are holy things, if they be made

to good intent, and Sir, you shall not say,

you were compelde by me to breake your vowe.

But till the expiration of the same,

because I will not haue ye walke the streetes,

for euery man to stand and wunder at,

I will comitt ye prisoner vnto Newgate.

Except meane time, your conscience giue you leaue,

to dispense with the long vow that you haue made

Away with him.

tPio

A Cell moste meete for such a votarie.

well Sir, and I may perhaps be bailde er't be long, and yet weare my haire(

And Mr. Sheriff of London, they lead him out :

heere in his highnesse name we giue you charge,

continuall watche be kept through out the cittie, tSao

for the suppressing of these mutinies.

And if heerafter any that belong,

either to my Lord of Winchester or Elie,

doo come into your Cittie with a weapon,

or abooue two of either faction,

shall be scene walking in the streetes together

or meete in Tauerne or in Ordinarie,

they be comitted presently to prison.

797 For fols ii*, 12, 13, 13* see among Additions. Scene viii b.
797-876 heavily crossed out : there is no actual line down the edge.
822 heera/ter] Dyce hereafter

Sc. viii3]

Original Text (S)

29

Sur.

Moris.
Moor.
Moris.

Moore.

Moris.

Moore.
Moris.
Moore.
Faulk.
Moore.

Faulk.
Moris.

Moore.

And cause to be proclaimd about the Cittie,
that no man whatsoeuer, that belongs,
either to my Lord of Winchester or Elie,
doo walke without the liuerie of his Lord,
either in cloke or any other garment,
that notice may be taken of th'offenders.

t83o

God saue your honor my Lord Chauncellour.

Enter M'. Morris.
&. ex. Sherif and the rest.

welcome M^ Morris, what newes Sir?

I come moste humbly to entreate your honor,
in the behalfe of a poore man of mine.

what, the votarie, that will not cut his haire,
vntill the expiration of his vow ?

t84o

My lord, beeing sorie for his rude behauiour,

he hath cut his haire, and dooth conforme him selfe

[to honest decencie] in his attire.

where is the fellow ? I am glad to heare it.

heere my good Lord.

Faukener is brought

you mock me surely, this is not the man.

yes indeed my Lord, I am he.

Thou art not sure.

the other was an vglie filthie knaue,

thou, a good featurde and well fauourd man.

why see what monsters you will make your selues,

by cherishing a lothsome excrement,

t'abuse the goodly ymage of a man,

whom God did frame so excellent a creature.

well, be a peaceable and ciuill man,

I doo dischardge thee.

tSso

I humbly thanke your honor.

And my selfe

[shall rest moste] thankfull for this gracious fauour.

wilt please your honors now to keepe your way
I feare the Lordes are hindered by our stay.

t86o

exeunt Lordes.

834 th' offenders. 1 Dyce the offenders 840 vow f] v altered ? 843 decencie] cenc doubtful.

849-76 till recently covered by fol. 13*: consequently not printed by Dyce.

30

Sir Thomas More

[FOLS. 14'

».»>

Moris.

Faulk.

See Sir what your Ruffian tricks come too,
you thinke the eye of wisedome doo's not see,
into the brainsick follies of vaine heades,
but with your swaggering, you can bear't away.

Sir, I confesse I haue bin much misgouernde,
and led by ydle spleenes, which now I see,
are like them selues, meere sottishe vanitie.
when ( ) the layle I better ( )llde to minde
the graue rebukes of my Lord Chauncell(
and lookte into my selfe with more res(
then my rashe heate before would let m(
I caused a Barber presently be sent f(
and moou'de your woorship then (
but when I fall into (
casheere me (
(

t87o

) for me.

Enter S*". Thomas Moore, My. Roper, and Seruing men setting (stooles). FOL. 14''
Moore. Come my good fellowes, stirre, be dilligent,

Sloth is an ydle fellowe, leaue him now, t88o

the time requires your expeditious seruice.
Place me heere stooles, to set the Ladyes on.
Sonne Roper, you haue giuen order for the banquet.

Ro. I haue my Lord, and euery thing is readie.

Moore. Oh welcome wife, giue you direction,

how women should be plac'de, you knowe it best,
ffor my Lord Maior, his bretheren, and the rest,
Let me alone, men best can order men
La. I warrant ye my Lord, all shalbe well

Ther's one without that stayes to speake with ye,
And bad me tell ye that he is a Player.

Moore. A Player wife ? one of ye bid him come in.

Nay stirre there fellowes, fye, ye are to slowe.

/ Enter his Lady.

+890

ex, one.

863 dooms'] 's inserted. 87 1 -3 in each case the last letter is doubtful.

877 clear traces of this line appear under the mending paper, but it was probably the last of the page.

878 Scene ix.

Scs.viu3,ix] Original Text (S) 31

See that your lights be in a readines,

the Banquet shalbe heere. Gods me Madame,

leaue my Lady Maioresse ? bothe of vs from the boord ?

and my Sonne Roper too ? what may our guests thinke ?
La. My Lord, they are risen, and sitting by the fire.
Moore, why yet goe you and keepe them companie,

It is not meete we should be absent bothe. / ex. La. ent. Player, tgoo

welcome good freend, what is your will with me ?
Player. My Lord, my fellowes and my selfe,

are come to tender ye our willing seruice,

so please you to commaund vs.
Moore, what, for a play, you meane ?

whom doo ye seme ? »

Player. My Lord Cardinalles grace.
Moore. My Lord Cardinalls players ? now trust me, welcome.

you happen hether in a luckie time,

to pleasure me, and benefit your selues. tgio

The Maior of London, and some Aldermen,

his Lady, and their wiues, are my kinde guests

this night at supper. Now, to haue a play,

before the banquet, will be excellent,

how thinke you Sonne Roper ?
Ro. Twill doo well my Lord,

and be right pleasing pastime to your guests.
Moore. I pre thee tell me, what playes haue ye ?
Player, diuers my Lord : the Cradle of Securitie,

hit nayle o'th head, impacient pouertie, tgao

the play of foure Pees, diues and Lazarus,

Lustie luuentus, and the mariage of witt and wisedome.
Moore. The mariage of witt and wisedome ? that my Lads,

He none but that, the theame is very good,

and may maintaine a liberall argument.

To marie wit to wisedome, asks some cunning.

Many haue witt, that may come short of wisedome.

907 a pencil cross at end.

32 Sir Thomas More [FoLs.I4^I5«

weele see how M'. Poet playes his part,

and whether witt or wisedome grace his arte.

Goe, make him drinke, and all his fellowes too, tpso

how manie are ye ?
Player, ffoure men and a boy Sir.
Moore. But one boy ? then I see,

ther's but fewe women in the play.
Player. Three my Lord : dame Science, Lady vanitie,

and wisedome she her selfe
Moore. And one boy play them all ? bir Lady, hees loden.

well my good fellowe get ye straite together,

and make ye readie with what haste ye may.

Prouide their supper gainste the play be doone, t94o

else shall we stay our guests heere ouer long.

make haste I pray ye.

Player, we will my Lo rd. ex. Ser. &. player.

Moore, where are the waytes ? goe, bid them play,

to spend the ti me awhile. / How now Madame ! / En. Lady.
La. My Lord th'are coming hether.
Moore. Th'are welcome : wife, He tell ye one thing,

Our sporte is somewhat mended, we shall haue

a play to night : the mariage of witt and wisedome.

And acted by my good Lord Cardinalles players. tpso

how like ye th at wife ?
La. My Lord, I like it well.

See, they are comming.
WAITES PLAY The waytes playes, Enters Lord Maior, so many Aldermen as may,

HERE. the Lady Maioresse in Scarlet, with other Ladyes and Sir Thomas

Moores daughters, Seruaunts carying lighted Torches by them.
Moore. Once agayne welcome, welcome my good Lord Maior,

935 Lord] //touched up. 936 wisedome] Dyce Wisdome 937 bir] r altered in darker ink.

946 cdming] Dyce coming 954-5 marginal direction added by C.

955 Lady]y, already damaged in facsimile, has wholly disappeared in the MS. Ladyes] Dyce Ladies

956 Moores] s, already damaged in facsimile, has wholly disappeared in the MS. Seruaunis]
Dyce Seruauntes

957 «^'«y«^] Dyce againe

Sc. ix] Original Text (S) 33

And bretheren all for once I was your brother,

and so am still in hart. It is not state,

that can our looue from London seperate. t96o

(

( ) naught but pride. FOL. 15*

But they that cast an eye still whence they camC;.

knowe how they rose, and how to vse the same.
L. Maior. My Lord, you set a glosse on Londons fame,

and make it happie euer by your name.

Needs must we say, when we remember Moore^

Twas he that droue rebellion from our doore.

with graue discretions milde and gentle breath,

sheelding a many subiects lines from death. tp?©

Oh how our Cittie is by you renownde,

And with your vertues our endeuours crownde.
Moore. No more my good Lord Maior : but thanks to all,

that on so short a summons, you would come

to visite him that holdes your kindnesse deere.

Madame, you are not merie with my Lady Maioresse,

And these fayre Ladyes, pray ye seate them all,

And heere my Lord, let me appoint your place

the rest to seate them selues : Nay, He wearie ye,

you will not lo ng in haste to visite me. tgSo

La. Good Madame sit, in sooth you shall sit heere.
La. Mai. Good Madame pardon me, it may not be.
La. In troth He haue it so, He sit heere by yee,

Good Ladyes sit, more stooles heere hoe.
La. Mai. It is your fauour Madame makes rae thu^

presume abooue my merit
La. when we come to you,

then shall you rule vs, as we rule you heere.

Now must I tell ye Madame, we haue a play,

958 alT\ II, already damaged in ^csimile, has wholly disappeared in the MS.

961 Dyce indicates the loss of a line : traces remain.

962 there is a blot before naught ; possibly a deletion. 972 endeuours] Dyce endeauours

E

34 Sir Thomas More [Fols. 15*'^

to welcome ye withall : how good so ere, tgpo

that knowe not I, my Lord will haue it so.
Moore, wife, hope the best, I am sure theyle doo their best,
they that would better, comes not at their feaste.
My good Lord Cardinalles players, I thanke them for it,
play vs a play, to lengthen out your welcome,
[my good Lord Maior, and all my other freends.]
They say it is the mariage of wit and wisedome,
A theame of some importe, how ere it prooue :
but if Arte faile, weele inche it out with looue.

what, are they readie ? . tiooo

Sen My Lord, one of the Players craues to speake with you.
Moore, with me ? where is he ? / Enter Inclination the vise, readie.

Incli. heere my Lord.
Moore. How now ? what's the matter ?
Incli. we would desire your honor but to stay a little, one of my fellowes is but run
to Oagles, for a long beard for young witt, and heele be heere presently.
Moore. A long beard for young witt ? why man, he may be with out a beard till he come
to mariage, for witt goes not all by the hayre : when comes witt in ?
Incli. In the second Scene, next to the Prologue my Lord.
Moore, why play on till that Sceane come, and by that time witts beard will be
growne, or else the fellowe returned with it. And what part plaist thou?
Incli. Inclination the vice my Lord. tioia

Moore. Gramercies, now I may take the vice if I list : and wherfore hast thou
that bridle in thy hand ?
Incli. I must be bridled annon my Lord.
Moore. And thou beest not sadled too, it makes no matter, for then witts inclina-
tion may gallop so fast, that he will outstrip wisedome, and fall to follie.
Incli. Indeed so he does to Lady vanitie : but we haue no follie in our play.
Moore. Then ther's no witt in't. He be sworne : ffollie waites on witt, as the shaddow(e
on the bodie, and where witt is ripest, there follie still is readiest. But beginne
I pre thee, weele rather allowe a beardlesse witt, then witt all bearde to haue
no braine. tioaa

996 the line is crossed out in rather darker ink. 1002 a pencil cross after ^/

1 02 1 to\ o altered or touched up.

Sc. ix] Original Text (S) 35

Inch. Nay, he has his apparell on too my Lord, and therfore he is the readier to enter.
Moore. Then good Inclination beginne at a venter. exit.

My Lord Maior : witt lacks a beard, or else they would beginne,

Ide lend him mine, but that it is too thinne.

Silence, they come.

The Trompet soundes, enter the Prologue.
Pro. Now for as much as in these latter dayes,

throughout the whole world in euery land ; tios©

vice dooth encrease and vertue decayes,

Iniquitie hauing the vpper hand.

we therfore intend good gentle Audience,

a prettie short Enterlude to play at this present,

desiring your leaue and quiet silence,

to shewe the same as is meete and expedient

It is called the mariage of witt and wisedome,

A matter right pithie and pleasing to heare,
( wherof in breefe we) will (shewe) the (whole summe

But I must begon, for (witt dooth) appeare. exit FOL. \^

Enter Witt ruffling, and Inclination the vice.
Witt. In an arbour greene, a sleepe where as I lay, tio43

The birdes sang sweetely in the midst of the day,

I dreamed fast of mirthe and play,

In youth is pleasure, in youthe is pleasure.

Me thought I walked still to and fro.

And from her companie I could not goe,

But when I waked, it was not so,

In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.^

Therfore my hart is surely plight, tioso

Of her alone to haue a sight,

which is my ioy and harts delight.

In youth is ple asure, in youth is pleasure.
Moore. Marke ye my Lord, this is witt without a bearde, what will he be, by that

time he comes to the commoditie of a bearde ?

1024 Dyce supplies /«f/t«. after ^;«V 1028 Jt?7<«r/<?j,] ^ altered. 1031 doothi DycG doth

E 2

36 Sir Thomas More [FoLs.I5^I7*

Incli. Oh Sir, the ground is the better on which she dooth gee.

ffor she will make better cheere with a little she can get :

then many a o ne can with a great banquet of meat.
Witt. And is her name wisedome ?
Incli. I Sir, a wife moste fitt, tio6o

for you my good maister, my daintie sweet Witt.
Witt. To be in her companie, my hart it is set.

therfore I pre thee to let vs begon :

for vnto wisedome Witt hath Inclination.
Incli Oh Sir, she will come her selfe euen annon.

ffor I tolde her before where we would stand

And then she sayd she would beck vs with her hand.

Back with those boyes, and saucie great knaues, / florishing his dagger.

what, stand ye heere so bigge in your braues ?

my dagger about your coxecombes shall walke, tio7o

if I may but so much as heare ye chat or talke.
Witt. But will she take paines to come for vs hether ?
Incli. I warrant ye, therfore you must be familiare with her.

when she commeth in place,

you must her embrace, somewhat hansomely,

Least she thinke it daunger,

because you are a straunger, to come in your companie.
Witt. I warrant thee Inclination, I will be busie,

Oh how witt longs to be in wisedomes companie.

Enter Lady Vanitie singing, and beckning with her hand. tio8o

Van. Come hether, come hether, come hether come :

Such cheere as I haue, thou shalt haue some.
Moore. This is Lady Vanitie He holde my life :

beware good witt^ you take not her to wife.
Incli. what, vnknowne honestie, a woord in your eare,

you shall not be gon as yet I sweare. / she offers to depart.

Heer's none but your freends, you need not to fray,

this young Gentleman looues ye, therfore you must stay.

1068 those\ Dyce these 1082 cheere\ Dyce chere

Sc. ix] Original Text (S) 37

Witt. I trust in me she will thinke no daunger,

for I looue well the companie of fayre women : tiogo

And though to you I am a straunger,
yet Witt may pleasure you now and then.
Van. who you ? nay you are such a holy man,
that to touche one you dare not be bolde :
I thinke you would not kisse a young woman,
if one would giue ye twentie pound in golde.
Witt, yes in good sadnesse Lady, that I would,

I could finde in my hart to kisse you in your smock.
Van. My back is broade enough to beare that mock.

ffor it hath bin tolde me many a time : +1100

that you would be seene in no such companie as mine.
Witt. Not Witt in the companie of Lady Wisedome ?

Oh loue for what doo I hether come ?
Inch. Sir, she did this nothing else but to prooue,
whether a little thing would you mooue,
to be angrie and frett :
what and if one sayd so,
let such trifling matters goe,
and with a kinde kisse come out of her debt.

Is Luggins come yet with the beard ? / Enter an other player. tino

Player. No faith, he is not come, alas, what shall we doo ?
Incli. fforsooth we can goe no further, till our fellowe Luggins come,[s] for he plays
good Councell, and now he should enter, to admonishe Witt, that this is Lad(y
Vanitiey and not Lady Wisedome.
Moore. Nay, and it be no more but so, ye shall not tarie at a stand for that, weele n(ot
haue our play marde for lack of a little good Councell : till your fellowe co(me
He geue him the best councell that I can, pardon me my Lord Maior, I lo(ue
to (be) merie
Moore, (oh witt,) th(ou art nowe on) the bo we hand, FOL. 17*

1 107 and] interlined. 11 16 lack] Dyce lacke

1 1 17 geue\ the first e is highly probable, though covered with a small blot of modem ink: Dyce giue

1118 the rule which presumably marked off the speech has disappeared.

1119 For fol. 16 see among Additions. Moore.] Dyce omits. In the lacuna is a smudge of black
(? modem) ink.

38 Sir Thomas More [Fol.iv'"

And blindely in thine owne oppinion doost stand. tnao

I tell thee, this naughtie lewde Inclination,
Does lead thee amisse in a very straunge fashion.
This is not Wisedome, but Lady Vanitie,
therfore list to good councell, and be ruled by me.
Incli. In troth my Lord, it is as right to Lugginses part, as can be, speake Witt.
Moore. Nay, we will not haue our audience disappointed, if I can help it.
Witt. Art thou good Councell, and wilt tell me so ?

wouldst thou haue Witt from Lady Wisedome to goe ?
Thou art some deceiuer, I tell thee verily.

In saying that this is Lady Vanitie. tii3o

Moore. Witt, iudge not things by the outwarde showe,
the eye oft mistakes, right well you doo knowe.
Good councell assures thee vppon his honestie,
that this is not Wisedome, but Lady Vanitie.
Enter Luggins with the bearde.
Incli. Oh my Lord, he is come, now we shall goe forwarde.
Moore. Art thou come? well fellowe, I haue holpe to saue thine honestie a little,
Now, if thou canst giue witt any better councell then I haue doone, spare no(t
there I leaue him to thy mercie.

But by this time, I am sure our banquet's readie, tii4o

My Lord, and Ladyes, we will taste that first,
And then they shall begin the play againe,
which through the fellowes absence, and by me,
in sted of helping, hath bin hindered.
Prepare against we come : Lights there I say,

thus fooles oft times doo help to marre the play. ■ exeunt, ma. players.

Witt, ffye fellowe Luggins, you serue vs hansomely, doo ye not thinke ye.

Lug. why, Oagle was not with in, and his wife would not let me haue the beard, an(d

by my troth I ran so fast that I sweat againe. tii49

Incli, doo ye heare fellowes ? would not my Lord make a rare player ? Oh, he would

vpholde a companie beyond all hoe, better then Mason among the Kings play-

II 24 therfore] Dyce Therefore 11 36 Incli?^ /touched up. 1 144 sted] ^touched up.

1 146 mai\ i.e. manent. Dyce supplies and enter one of them who plays the Clown aSi^r players

Scs.ix,x] Original Text (S) 39

ers : did ye marke how extemprically he fell to the matter, and spake Luggin-

ses parte, almoste as it is in the very booke set downe.
Witt. Peace, doo ye knowe what ye say ? my Lord a player ? let vs not meddle with

any such matters : yet I may be a little proude, that my Lord hath answerd m(e

in my parte, but come, let vs goe and be readie to begin the play againe.
Lug. I, thats the best, for now w-e lack nothing. [exeunt.]

Enter To the
players w"^" a reward

Enter the Earles oiShrewesburie^Surrey^^x^o^ oi Rochester 3.nd other
Lordes, seuerally, dooing curtesie to eche other, Clark of the Councell
waiting bareheaded. +1160 .^

Sur. Good morrowe to my Lord of Shrewesburie. . -. " '

Shrew The like vnto the honourd Earle of Surrey.

yond comes my Lord of Rochester.
Rochest. Good morrowe my good Lordes

Sur. Clarke of the C ouncell, what time ist of day ?
Clarke. Past eight of clock my Lord.
Shrew. I wunder that my good Lord Chauncellour,
dooth stay so long, considering ther's matters
of high importaunce to be scand vppon.
Sur. Clarke of the Councell, certefie his Lordship tn7o

the Lordes expect him heere.
Rochest. It shall not need.

yond comes his Lordship.

Enter S"". Thomas Moore, with Pursse and Mace borne before him. /
Moore. Good morrowe to this faire assemblye.

Come my good Lords, let's sit / Oh serious square, / they sit.

vppon this little borde is dayly scande

the health and preseruation of the land.

we the Phisiticms that effect this good,

now, by choise diett, annon, by letting blood. tiiSo

Our toyle and carefull watching, brings the King

in league with slumbers, to which, peace dooth sing.

1 1 52 maiier,] r altered? 1152-3 Lugginses} Dyce Lugginsses

1 157 the S.D. is crossed out in darker ink.

1 1 58 Scene x.

1 1 58-9 marginal direction and reference mark (to fol. 16, VI) added by C.

1159 seuerally,'] r altered ? 1177 borde\ r altered ? 1178 preseruaiion\ Yiyct preservation

40 Sir Thomas More [Fols. i^'.''

Auoyde the roome there.

what busines Lords to day?
Shrew. This my good Lord.

About the entertainement of the Emperour,

gainst the perfidious fifrenche into our [our] pay.
Sur. My Lords, as tis the custome in this place,

the youngest should speake first, so, if I chaunce,

in this case to speake youngly, pardon me. +1190

I will agree, fifraunce now hath her full strength

as hauing newe recouered the pale blood

which warre sluic'de foorth, and I consent to this,

that the coniunction of our Englishe forces

with armes of Germanie, may sooner bring

this prize of conquest in. But then my Lordes,

As in the morrall hunting (twixt the) Lyon,

and other be(astes force ioynd

frighted the weaker sharers from their partes. FOL. \7^

So if the Empires Soueraigne chaunce to put, fi aoo

his plea of partnership into warres Courte,

Swoordes should discide the difference, and our blood :

in priuate teares lament his entertainement.
Shrew. To doubt the wurst is still the wise mans sheeld,

that armes him safely, but the worlde knowes this,

the Emperour is a man of royall faith.

His looue vnto our Soueraigne, brings him downe,

from his emperiall seate, to marche in pay

vnder our English fflagge, and weare the crosse,

like some high order on his manly breast. tiaio

Thus seruing, hees not Maister of him selfe,

but like a Collonell, comaunding other,

is by the Generall ouer-awed him selfe.

1 197 As] Dyce Its

1 199 iheir\ it looks as though the h had been altered, but probably it is only a dark blot showing
through from the recto.

1203 priuate] the u seems to have been touched up, possibly in modem ink.

1204 To] 7' altered.

Sex] Original Text (S) 41

Rochest. yet my good Lord.
Shrew. Let me conclude my speeche.

As subiects share no portion in the conquest

of their true Soueraigne other then the meritt,

that from the Soueraigne guerdons the true subiect :

So the good Emperour in a freendly league

of amitie with England, will not soyle frajo

his honor with the theft of Englishe spoyle.
Moore There is no question, but this entertainement :

will be moste honorable, moste comodious.

I haue oft heard good Captaines wish to haue

riche Soldiours to attend them, such as would fight

bothe for their Hues and liuings. Such a one,

is the good Emperour: I would to God,

we had ten thousand of such able men,

hah, then there would appeare, no Courte, no Cittie

but where the warres were : they would pay them selues. ti33o

Then to preuent in firenche warres, Englands losse :

let Germaine fl agges waue with our Englishe crosse.
Enter Sir Thomas Palmer.
Pal. My Lordes, his Maiestie hath sent by me

these Articles enclosde, first to be viewde,

and then to be subscribed to : I tender them,

in that due reu erence which befitts this place. / with great reuerenc(e

Moore. Subscribe these Articles ? stay, let vs pause,

our conscience first shall parley with our lawes.

My Lord of Rochester^ viewe you the paper. tx 240

Rochest. Subscribe to these ? now good Sir Thomas Palmer,

beseeche the King that he will pardon me.

My hart will check my hand whilste I doo write,

subscribing so , I were an hipocrite.
Pal. doo you refuse it then my Lord ?

1 21 5 speeche. 1 second e altered from c}

1233 Thomas] T'altered. 1235 enclosde,] Dyce enclos'de

1237 reuerence] c covered by mounting paper, final e gone. 1 2 40 Rochester,] comma doubtfuL

F

42

Sir Thomas Move

[FoLS. I7^ i8»

Rochest.
Pal

Rochest.

Pal
Moore.

Pal

Moore.

Pal
Sur.

Pal

Roches.

Sur.

I doo Sir Thomas.

Then heere I summon you foorth with t'appeare,
before his maiestie, to answere there
this capitall contempt.

I rise, and parte,

in liew of this, to tender him my hart.

tl250

/ he riseth.

wilt please your honor to subscribe my Lord ?

Sir, tell his highnesse, I entreate
some time for to bethinke me of this taske.
In the meane while, I doo resigne mine office,
into my Soueraignes hands.

ALL []aLTR'

Then my Lord,

heare the prepared order from the King.
On your refusall, you shall straite departe
vnto your house at Chelsey^ till you knowe
our Soueraignes further pleasure.

tl260

Moste willingly, I goe.

My Lordes, if you will visite me at Chelsey,

weele goe a fishing, and with a cunning nett,

not like weake filme, weele catche none but the great.

ffarewell my noble Lordes : why this is right,

good morrowe to the Sunne, to state good night.

will you subscribe my Lordes ?

Instantly good Sir Thomas,

weele bring the writing vnto our Soueraigne.

My Lord of Rochester,

you must with me, to answere this contempt.

This is the wurst,

who's fre(ed from) life, is from all care exempt.

(now let vs to our Soueraign)e.

ex. Moore.

/ they write. tn7o

ex. Ro. & Pal.

1247-75 crossed out by T ; a large cross mark in the margin may or may not be his. The line really
runs through the text, not down the side.

1247 heere^ second e altered from a ?

1256 margmal note by T : all is clear ; at the beginning of the second word a long letter s or f has
been crossed out, a has been altered, // is clear, the rest is badly written and quite doubtful : Dyce all
altered : the meaning, that the whole passage is to be altered, is the only certain point.

Scs. X, xi] Original Text (S) 43

( tis straimge) that my (lord) Chauncellour should refuse FOL. 18*

the dutie that the lawe of God bequeathes

vnto the King.
Shrew. Come, let vs in, no doubt,

his minde will alter, and the Bishops too, tiaSo

Errour in learned heads hath much to doo.

Enter the Lady Moore, her two daughters, and M'. Roper, as walking(
Ro. Madame, what ayles yee for to looke so sad.
Lady. Troth Sonne, I knowe not what, I am not sick,

and yet I am not well : I would be merie

but somewhat lyes so heauie on my hart :

I cannot chuse but sigh. / You are a Scholler,

I pray ye tell me, may one credit dreames?
Ro. why ask you that, deare Madame ?
Lady. Because to night, I had the straungest dreame, tugo

that ere my sleep was troubled with.

Me thought twas night,

And that the King and Queene went on the Themes,

in Bardges to heare musique : My Lord and I

were in a little boate me thought, Lord, Lord,

what straunge things Hue in slumbers ? And beeing neere,

we grapled to the Bardge that bare the King.

But after many pleasing voyces spent,

in that still moouing musique house : me thought,

the violence of the streame did seuer vs ti3oo

quite from the golden fleet, and hurried vs,

vnto the bridge, which with vnused horror,

we entred at full tide, thence some flight shoote,

beeing caried by the waues : our boate stood still

iust opposite the Tower, and there it turnde,

and turnde about, as when a whirle-poole sucks

the circkled waters : me thought that we bothe cryed,

1281 leamed\ r interlined. Dyce supplies s.D. Exeunt, after doo

1282 Scene xi. walking] the end of the word has been damaged since the facsimile was made.
J 303 J^g^^] sic : Dyce slight

F a

44 ^^'^ Thomas More [Fols. i8».''

till that we su nck, where arme in arme we dyed.
Ro. Giue no respect, deare Madame to fond dreames,

they are but sl ight illusions of the blood. ti3io

Lady. Tell me not all are so, for often dreames,
are true diuiners, either of good or ill.
I cannot be in quiet, till I heare,
how my Lord fares.
Ro» aside. Nor I. / Come hether wife

I will not fright thy mother, to interprete
the nature of a dreame : but trust me sweete,
this night I haue bin troubled with thy father :
beyond all thought.
Ro. wife. Truely and so haue I. tiaao

Me thought I sawe him heere in Chelsey Churche,
standing vppon the Rood loft, now defac'de.
And whilste he kneeld and prayd before the ymage,
it fell with him into the vpper quier,
where my poore father lay all stainde in blood.
Ro. Our dreames all meet in one conclusion
ffatall, I feare.
Lady, what's that you talke? I pray ye let me knowe it.
Ro. wife. Nothing good mother.

Lady. This is your fashion still, I must knowe nothing. ti33o

Call Maister Catesbie, he shall straite to Courte,
and see how my Lord does : I shall not rest,
vntill my hart leaue panting on his breast.

Enter S'. Thomas Moore merily, Seruaunts attending.
Dough. See where my father comes, ioyfull and merie.
Moore. As Sea men, hauing past a troubled storme,

daunce on the pleasant shoare : So I, Oh I could speake

now like a Poett. Now afore God, I am passing light,

wife, giue me kinde welcome, thou wast wunt to blame

my kissing, when my beard, was in the stubble, ti34o

1315 aside.] Dyce as if supplied. 1324 vpper quier ^ Hyc^vpper-quier

1333 leaue] might be leane pencil cross at end.

Sc. xi] Original Text (S) 45

But, I haue bin trimde of late, I haue had,

a sraoothe Courte shauing, in good faith I haue, / daughters kneele.
God blesse ye : Sonne Roper, giue me your hand.
Ro. your Honor's welcome home.
Moore. Honor? ha ha: And how doost wife?
Ro. He beares him selfe moste straungely.
Lady, will your Lordship in ?
Moore. Lordship ? no wife, that's gon,

the ground wa s slight that we did leane vppon.
Lady. Lord that your Honor nere will leaue these lests, ti35o

In faith it ill becomes yee.
Moore. Oh go(od) wife.

Honor and lests are bothe together fled, FOL. IS''

The meriest C ouncellour of England's dead.
Lady, whose that my Lord ?
Moore. Still Lord ? / t he Lord Chauncellour wife.
Lady. Thats you.

Moore. Certaine, but I haue chaungde my life.
Am I not leaner then I was before,

the fatt is gon : my title's only Moore. ti36o

Contented with one stile, He Hue at rest,
they that haue many names, are not still best.
I haue resignd e mine office : count'st me not wise ?
Lady. Oh God.

Moore. Come, breed not female children in your eyes. ^

the King will haue it so.
Lady, what's the offence ?

Moore. Tush let that passe, weele talke of that annon.
The King seemes a Phisitian to my fate,

His princely minde, would traine me back to state. ti3?o

Ro. Then be his patient my moste honord father.
Moore. Oh Sonne Roper.

[ Vbi turpis est tnedicina, sanari piget.^

1370 me] e altered from>' 1 37 1 moste] e altered.

46 Sir Thomas More [Fols. I8^ 19*

No wife, be merie, and be merie all,

you smilde at rising, weepe not at my fall.

Let's in, and heere ioy like to priuate freends,

since dayes of pleasure haue repentant ends.

The light of greatnesse is with triumph borne :

It sets at midday oft, with publique scorne. exeunt.

Enter the Bishop oi Rochester, Surrey, Shrewsburie^ Lieutenant +1380
of the Tower, and warders with weapons.
Roches t. Your kinde perswasions, honorable Lords,

I can but thanke ye for, but in this brest

there Hues a soule, that aimes at higher things,

then temporarie pleasing earthly Kings.

God blesse his Highnesse, euen with all my hart,

we shall meete one day, though that now we part.
Sur. we not misdoubt your wisedome can disceme,

what best befits : it : yet in looue and zeale ;

we could entreate, it might be otherwise. ti39o

Shrew. No doubt your fatherhood will by your selfe,

consider better of the[s] present case,

and growe as great in fauour as before.
Rochest. ffor that, as pleaseth God, in my restrainte

from worldly causes, I shall better see

into my selfe, then at proude libertie.

The Tower and I will priuately conferre,

of things, wherin at freedome, I may erre.

But I am troublesome vnto your Honors ;

and holde ye longer then becomes my dutie. ti4oo

M'. Lieutenant, I am now your charge

And though you keep my bodie, yet my looue,

waites on my King and you, while ffisher Hues.
Sur. ffarewell my Lord of Rochester, weele pray

for your release, and labour't as we may.

1380 Scene xii.

1380 Shrewsburie] Dyce Shrewsbury 1389 befits : it:] sic.

Scs. xi-xiii] Original Text (S) 47

Shrew. Therof assure your selfe, so doo we leaue yee,

And to your happie priuate thoughts bequeath yee. ex. Lords.

Rochest. Now M^ Lieutenant, on, a Gods name goe,
And with as glad a minde goe I with you :

As euer trewant bad the schoole adiewe. exeunt. tr4io

Enter S^ Thomas Moore, his Lady, daughters, M^ Roper, Gentlemen(
and Seruaunts, as in his house at Chelsey.
Moore. God morrowe good sonne Roper, sit good Madame, / lowe stooles

vppon an humble seate, the time so craues,
rest your good hart on earth, the roofe of graues.
you see the floore of greatnesse is vneuen,
the Cricket and high throane alike neere heauen.
Now daughters, you that like to braunches spred,
and giue best shaddowe to a priuate house :

Be comforted my Girles, your hopes stand faire, ti43o

vertue breedes gentrie, she makes the best heire.
both daugh. God morrow to your honor.
Moore. Nay, good night rather,

your honor's creast-falne with your happie father.
Ro. Oh what formalitie, what square obseruaunce :
Hues in a little roome, heere, publique care,
gagges not the eyes of slumber : heere, fierce riott,
ruffles not proudely in a coate of trust,
whilste like a Pawne at Chesse, he keepes in ranck

with Kings and mightie fellowes, yet indeed tr43o

those men [th( tha)t stand on tip toe, smile to see

( him pawne his fortunes)

Moore. (True sonne FOL. 19*

Nor does the wanton tongue heere skrewe it selfe
into the eare, that like a vise, drinkes vp
the yron instrument.

141 1 Scene xiii.

1413 sit] Dyce Sitt 1416 vneuen,] Dyce uneuen 1422 both daugh^ rather too high.

1 43 1 no doubt the words those men were repeated and deleted.

1432 the rule which presumably marked off the speech has disappeared.

1433 &c. page covered with tracing paper.

48 Sir Thomas More [Fol. ip-*

Lady, we are heere at peace.
Moore. Then peace good wife.
Lady, ffor keeping still in compasse, (a straunge poynte

in times newe nauigation,) we haue sailde ti44o

beyond our course.
Moore, haue doone.

Lady, we are exilde the Courte.
Moore. Still thou harpste on that,

Tis sinne for to deserue that banishment,

but he that nere knewe Courte courtes sweete content.
Lady. Oh but deare husband.
Moore, I will not heare thee wife,

The winding laborinth of thy straunge discourse,

will nere haue end. Sit still, and, my good wife, ti45o

entreate thy tongue be still : or credit me,

thou shalt not vnderstand a woord we speake

weele talke in Latine.

Humida vallis raros patitur fulminis ictus.

More rest enioyes the subiect meanely bred,

then he that beares the Kingdome in his head.

Great men are still Musitians, else the world lyes,

they learne lowe [noates] straines after the noates that rise.

Ro. Good Sir, be still your selfe, and but remember,

How in this generall Courte of short liu'de pleasure tr46o

the worlde, creation is the ample foode,

that is digested in the mawe of tyme.

If man him selfe be subiect to such ruine.

How shall his garment then, or the loose pointes,

that tye respect vnto his awefull place :

auoyde distruction ? / Moste honord father in lawe,

the blood you haue bequeath'de these seuerall hartes

to nourishe your posteritie, stands firme

1457-8 marked for omission. 1457 Greai men] dovbtinl.

1458 deleted word doubtful. straities] interlined. 1460 liu'de] Dyce liu*d

1465 respect] s altered ?

Sc. xiii]

Original Text (S)

49

Moore,

As as with ioy you led vs first to rise

So with like harts weele lock preferments eyes.

+1470

Close them not then with teares, for that ostent,

giues a wett signall of your discontent.

If you will share my fortunes, comfort then.

an hundred smiles for one sighe : what, we are men.

Resigne [wett] wett passion to these weaker eyes,

which prooues their sexe, but grauntes nere more wise.

Lets now suruaye our state : Heere sits my wife,

and deare esteemed issue, yonder stand

my loouing Seruaunts, now the difference

twixt those and these. Now you shall heare me speake,

like Moore in melanchollie. / I conceiue^ that Nature

hath sundrie mettalles, out of which she frames

vs mortalles, eche in valuation

out prizing other. Of the finest stuffe,

the finest features come, the rest of earth,

receiue base fortune euen before their birthe.

Hence slaues haue their creation and I thinke,

Nature prouides content for the base minde,

vnder the whip, the burden and the toyle,

their lowe wrought bodies drudge in pacience.

As for the Prince, in all his sweet gorgde mawe,

and his ranck fleshe that sinfully renewes

the noones excesse in the nights daungerous surfeits,

what meanes or miserie from our birth dooth flowe,

Nature entitles to vs, that we owe.

But we beeing subiect to the rack of hate,

falling from happie life to bondage state

hauing seene better dayes, now know the lack

of glorie, that once rearde eche high fed back.

ti48o

ti490

1469 As as\ sic : Dyce emend. And as 1471-1501 marked for omission.

1471 a double cross in left margin, presumably referring to fol. 6 (I).
1475 deleted word doubtful. 1476 Dyce supplies ;/ dSitr graunies

1480 twixt] ? w altered from h

G

so

Sir Thomas More

[FOLS. 19''

Catesbie.
Moore.

Moore.

( L)ady.

Moore.

Lady.
Moore.

But that in your age did nere viewe better,

challendge not fFortune for your thriftlesse debter.

Sir, we haue se ene farre better dayes, then these.

I was the patrone of those dayes, and knowe,

those were but painted dayes, only for showe,

then greeue not you to fall with him that gaue them.

Pro hderis generosis seruis gloriosum mori.

deare Gough, thou art my learned Secretarie,

you M^ Catesbie Steward of my house,

the rest (like you) haue had fayre time to growe

in Sun-shine of my fortunes. But I must tell ye,

Corruption is fled hence with eche mans office.

Bribes that make open traffick twixt the soule,

and netherland of Hell, deliuer vp

their guiltie homage to their second Lordes

then liu(in)g thus vntainted, you (are well

Trueth (is) no Pilot for the lan(d of hell

Enter a seruaunt
my) Lord, there are new lighted at the gate,
the Earles of Surrie of Shrewesburie,
and they expect you in the inner Courte.
Entreate their Lordships come into the hall.
Oh God, what newes with them ?
why how now wife ?

They are but come to visite their olde freend.
Oh God, I feare, I feare.
what shouldst thou feare fond woman ?
lusium si fr actus illabatur orbis inpauidum feriettt ruinx.
Heere let me Hue estraungde from great mens lookes,
they are like golden fflyes on leaden hookes.

ti5oo

tisio

FOL. 19''

ti5ao

1500 Dyce supplies ^o« after But 1506-16 marked for omission.

1506 Pro hstris\ first four letters doubtful ; Pro is obscured by the omission mark, and haeris is rather
faint : Dyce omitted altogether and without notice : hairis is, of course, for eris

15 17 &c. page covered with tracing paper. 1518 Dyce supplies speaker's name, Ser.

15 19 Dyce supplies a«<^ after ^wmle 1521 Dyce supplies s.D. £■;?•;/ 6"^r. after ^«//.

Sc. xiii] Original Text (S) 51

Enter the Earles, Downes with his Mace, and attendants. ti53o
Shrew. Good morrowe good S^ Thomas.

Sur. Good day good Madame. / kinde salutations.

Moore welcome my good Lordes.

what ayles your Lordships looke so melanchollie ?
Oh I knowe you Hue in Courte, and the Courte diett,
is only freend to phisick.
Sur. Oh Sir Thomas,

Our woordes are now the Kings, and our sad lookes,
the interest of your looue. / we are sent to you,

from our milde Soueraigne, once more to demaund, ti54o

If youle subscribe vnto those Articles,
he sent ye th'other day, be well aduisde,
ffor on mine honor Lord, graue doctor ffisher
Bishop of Rochester^ at the selfe same instant,
attachte with you, is sent vnto the Tower,
for the like obstinacie, his Maiestie,
hath only sent you prisoner to your house.
But if you now refuse for to subscribe,
a stricter course will foUowe.
Lady. Oh deare husband. tisso

both daugh. deare father. / kneeling and weeping.

Moore. See my Lordes,

this partner, and these subiects to my fleshe :
prooue rebelles to my conscience : But my good Lordes
if I refuse, must I vnto the Tower ?
Shrew, you must my Lord, heere is an officer,
readie for to arrest you of high treason.
Lady & daugh. Oh God, oh God.

Ro Be pacient good Madame.
Moore. I Downes, ist thou ? I once did saue thy life, ti56o

when else by cruell riottous assaulte
thou hadst bin tome in pieces : thou art reseru'de,
to be my Sumner to yond spirituall Courte.
Giue me thy hand good fellowe, smooth thy face,

G 3

52 Sir Thomas More [Fols. I9^2o'

the diet that thou drinkst, is spic'de with mace,

and I could nere abide it, twill not disgest,

twill lye too heauie man, on my weake brest.
Shrew. Be breefe my Lord, for we are limitted

vnto an houre.
Moore, vnto an houre ? tis well, ti57o

[the bell (earths thunder) soone shall toale my knell.]
Lady. Deare loouing husband, if you respect not me,

yet thinke vppon your daughters. / kneeling.

Moore, wife, stand vp, I haue bethought me,

and He now satisfye the Kings good pleasure / pondering to him selfe.
both daugh. Oh happie alteration.

Shrew. Come then, subscribe my Lord.

Sur. I am right glad of this your fayre conuerssion.
Moore. Oh pardon me,

I will subscribe to goe vnto the Tower, tisSo

with all submissiue willingnes, and therto add

my bones to strengthen the foundation

of Julius Cxsars pallace. Now my Lord,

He satisfye the King, euen with my blood,

Nor will I wrong your pacience : freend, doo thine office.
Dow. Sir Thomas Moore, Lord Chauncellour of England, I arrest you in

the Kings name of high treason.
Moore. Gramercies, freend, [and let vs ]

To a great prison, to discharge the strife,

commenc'de twixte conscience and my frailer life tisgo

Moore now must marche. Chelsey, adiewe, adiewe,

straunge farewell, thou shalt nere more see Moore true,

for I shall nere see thee more: Servauntes farewell,

wife mar(re) no(t) thyne indifferent face, be (wi)se,

M(oores widd hus)band, he must make thee rise.

1570 Moore.] e altered? 1574 vp,] comma doubtful. 1578 right] r altered from^?

1587 name] interlined.

1588 and let vs] reading not quite certain : the following words may be now on
1593 a cross at end apparently in modem ink or pencil.

Scs. xiii, xiv] Original Text (S) 53

(Daughters wha)t's heere (what's) heere ?

Mine eye had almost (parted) with a (teare FOL. 20*

deare Sonne, possesse my vertue, that I nere gaue,

graue Moore thus lightly walkes to a quick graue.
Ro. Curx leues loqtiuntur ingentes stupent. ti6oo

Moore, you that way in minde you my course in prayer :

by water I to prison, to heauen through ayre. exeunt.

Enter the warders of the Tower with Halbards.
I. ward. Hoe, make a guarde there.
1. M^ Lieutenant giues a straite comaund,

the people be auoyded from the bridge.
3. ffrom whence is he comitted, who can tell ?

I. ffrom durham house I heare.

a. The Guarde were waitting there an houre agoe.

3. If he stay long, heele not get neere the wharffe, ti6io

ther's such a croude of Boates vppon the Themes.
I. well, be it spoken with out offence to any,

A wiser, or more vertuous Gentleman

was neuer bred in England,
a. I thinke the poore will burie him in teares.

I neuer heard a man since I was borne,

so generally bewailde of euery one. Enter a poore woman.

3. what meanes this woman ? whether doost thou presse ?

I. This woman will be trod to death annon.

a. what makest thou heere ? ti63o

wo. To speake with that good man Sir Thomas Moore.

I. To speake with him ? hees not Lord Chauncellour.

wo. The more's the pittie Sir, if it plejisde God.

1597 &c page covered with tracing paper.
1603 Scene xiv.

1608, 1619 Dyce is wrong in stating that the MS. has the numeral 2 before these lines.
1609 'waitiing\ Dyce waiting
161 1 Themes.'] Dyce Thames 1612 /.] Dyce 2

1615 3.] wrongly altered to 3 in different ink by a reviser who, like Dyce, misread the scribe's figures :
Dyce J

1618 J.] Dyce omits. 1622 /.] Dyce 2

54 Sir Thomas More [Fols.2o».''

I. Therfore if thou hast a petition to deliuer,

thou mayst keepe it now, for any thing I knowe.
wo. I am a poore woman, and haue had (God knowes,)

a suite this two yeare in the Chauncerie,
And he hath all the euidence I haue,
which should I loose, I am vtterly vndoone.
I, ffaith, and I feare thoult hardly come by am now, ti63o

I am sorie for thee euen with all my hart.

Enter the Lords with Sir Thomas Moore, and attendants,
and enter Lieutenant and Gentleman Porter,
a. woman stand back, you must auoyde this place,

the Lords must passe this way into the Tower.
Moore. I thanke your Lordships for your paines thus farre,
to my strong house.
wa Now good Sir Thomas Moore, for Christes deare sake,

deliuer me my writings back againe,

that doo concerne my title. ti64o

Moore, what, my olde client, are thou got hether too ?
Poore sillie wretche, I must confesse indeed,
I had such writings as concerne thee neere,
But the King has tane the matter into his owne hand,
he has all I had, then [s] woman sue to him,
I cannot help thee, thou must beare with me.
wo. Ah gentle hart, my soule for thee is sad,

farewell the best freend that the poore ere had. exit woman.

Gent. Por. Before you enter through the Tower gate,

your vpper garment Sir belongs to me. ti65o

Moore. Sir you shall haue it, there it is. / he giues him his cap.

Gent. Por. The vpmoste o n your back Sir, you mistake me.

1624 /.] Dyce 2

1630 /.] Dyce 2 am] a may have been altered from u : either would stand for 'em now,] Ino
altered from m

1634 2.} an attempt seems to have been made in different ink either to make the numeral clearer or
else to cross it out (on the erroneous supposition that it repeated that in ti629), it is impossible to be sure
which : Dyce omits.

1641 are] sic.

Scs. xiv, xv] Original Text (S) 55

Moore. Sir, now I vnderstand ye very well
but that you name my back,
Sure else my Cap had bin the vppermoste.
Shrew, ffarewell kinde Lord, God send vs merie meeting.
Moore. Amen my Lord.

Sur. ffarewell deare freend, I hope your safe retume.
Moore. My Lord, and my [moste] deare fellowe in the Muses

ffarewell, farewell moste noble Poett. ti66o

Lieu. Adewe moste honord Lords. ex. Lords

Moore, ffayre prison, welcome, yet me thinkes,

for thy fayre building, tis too foule a name.

Many a guiltie soule, and many an innocent,

haue breathde their farewell to thy hollowe roomes.

I oft haue entred into thee this way,

yet I thanke God, nere with a clearer conscience

then at this houre.

This is my comforte yet, how hard so ere

my lodging prooue, the crye of the poore suter, ti67o

fatherlesse Orphane or distressed widdowe,

shall not distube me in my quiet sleepe.

On then a Gods name to our cloa(s)e aboade :

God is as s(tro ng heere as he is abroade exeu)nt

Enter Butler, (Brewer), Porter, and horssekeper, (seuerall wayes FOL. 20''
( But). Robin Brewer, how now man ? what cheere, what cheere ?

Brew, ffaith Ned Butler, sick of thy disease, and these our other fellowes heere<

Rafe Horssekeeper and Gyles Porter, sad, sad, they say my Lord goes to his
triall to day.
Horss. To it man ? wh y he is now at it, God send [it] him well to speed. ti68o

Por. Amen, euen as I wishe to mine owne soule, so speed it with my honorable

Lord and Mai ster Sir Thomas Moore.
But. I cannot tell, I haue no thing to doo with matters abooue my capacitie,

1653 vndersiand] Dyce understand very] v altered from w?

1658 retume.] n altered. 1672 distube] sic, for disturbe, which Dyce prints.

1675 Scene xv.

1677 Butler,] r altered.

56 Sir Thomas More [Fol. 20**

but as God iudge me, if I might speake my minde, I thinke there Hues not

a more harmelesse Gentleman in the vniuersall worlde.

Brew. Nor a wiser, nor a merier, nor an honester, goe too, He put that in vppon

mine owne knowledge.

Por. Nay, and ye bate him his due of his housekeeping, hang ye all, ye haue man(y

Lord Chauncellours comes in debt at the yeares end, and for very house(

keeping ? ti69o

horsse. well, he was too good a Lord for vs, and therfore (I feare) God him selfe wil(l

take him : but He be hangd if euer I haue such an other seruice.
Brew. Soft man, we are not dischargde yet, my Lord may come home againe/
and all will be well.
But. I much mistrust it, when they goe to rayning once, ther's euer foule weather(
Ent. Gough & Cateshie for a great while after. But soft, heere comes M^ Gough and Maister
with a paper. Catesbie, now we shall heare more.

horss. Before God they are very sad, I doubt my Lord is condemnde. 1

Por. God blesse his soule, and a figge then for all worldly condemnation.
Gough. well sayd Gyles Porter, I commend thee for it, fiyoo"

twas spoken like a well affected Seruaunte,
of him that was a kinde Lord to vs all.
Gate, which now no more he shall be, for deare fellowes,
now we are maisterlesse, though he may Hue,
so long as please the King : but lawe hath made him,
a dead man to the world, and giuen the Axe his head,
but his sweete soule to Hue among the Saintes.
Gough. Let vs entreate ye, to goe call together,

the rest of your sad fellowes : by the Roule,

y'are iust seauen score, and tell them what ye heare ti7i«

a vertuous honorable Lord hath doone,

euen for the meanest follower that he had.

This writing found my Ladie in his studie

this instant morning, wherin is set downe

eche seruaunts name, according to his place,

and office in the house. On euery man,

1697 pencil cross at end. l^oo sqycf] Dyce sat'd Gyles] Dyce Giles

ks. XV, xvi] Original Text (S) 57

he franckly hath bestowne twentie Nobles

the best and wurst together, all alike,

which M^ Catesbie heere foorth will pay ye.
Cate. Take it, as it is meante, a kinde remembraunce, ti7ao

of a farre kinder Lord, with whose sad fall,

he giues vp house, and farewell to vs all.

Thus the fayre spreading Oake falles not alone,

but all the neighbour plants and vnder trees :

are crusht downe with his weight. No more of this,

Come and receiue your due, and after goe,

ffellow-like hence, copartners of one woe. exeunt.

Enter Sir Thomas Moore, the Lieutenant, and a seruaunt attending
as in his chamber in the Tower.
Moore. M^ Lieutenant, is the warrant come, ti73o

If it be so, a Gods name, let vs [see] knowe it.
Lieu. My Lord, it is.
Moore. Tis welcome Sir to me, with all my hart,

his blessed will be doone.
Lieti. Your wisedome Sir, hath bin so well approou'de,

And your fayre pacience in imprisonment,

hath euer shewne such constancie of minde,

and christian resolution in all troubles :

As warrants vs, you are not vnpreparde.
Moore. No M^ Lieutenant, I thanke my God, ti74o

I haue peace of conscience, though the world and I ,

are at a little oddes : But weele be euen now I hope,

ere long : when is the execution of your warrant ?
Lieu. To morrowe morning.
Moore. So Sir, I thanke ye,

I haue not liu'de so ill, I feare to dye.

M"'. Lieutenant, I haue had a sore fitt of the stone to night,

But, the King hath sent me such a rare receipte

1722 to'\ o altered or touched up. 1725 weight. '\ period doubtful.

1728 Scene xvi.

1739 warrants] Dyce warrante

H

58 Sir Thomas More [Fols. 2o^2I*

I thank him, as I shall not need to feare it much.
Lieu. In life and death, still merie S"^. Thomas Moore. ti75o

Moore. Sirra fellowe, (reache me the vrina)ll, / hee giues it him.

ha, let me see, ( grauell in the water)

( FOL. 21*

( ) T(he) man were likely to liue long enough(

So pleasde the King : / heere fellowe, take it.
Ser. Shall I goe with it to the doctor Sir ?
Moore. No, saue thy labour, weele cossen him of a fee,

Thou shalt see me take a dramme to morrowe morning,
shall cure the stone I warrant, doubt it not.

M^ Lieutenant, what newes of my Lord of Rochester! tiyfo

Lieu, yesterday morning was he put to death.
Moore. The peace of soule sleepe with him,

he was a learned and a reuerend Prelate,
and a riche man beleeue me.
Lieu. If he were riche, what is S^ Thomas Moore,

that all this while hath bin [ ] Lord Chauncellour ?
Moore. Say ye so M^ Lieutenant ? what doo you thinke,
a man that with my time had held my place :
might purchase ?
Lieu. Perhaps my Lord, two thousand pound a yeare. ti77o

Moore. M''. Lieutenant, I protest to you,

I neuer had the meanes in all my life
to purchase one poore hundred pound a yeare.
I thinke I am the poorest Chauncellour
that euer was in England, though I could wishe,
for credit of the place, that my estate were better.
Lieu. Its very straunge.
Moore. It will be found as true.

I thinke Sir, that with moste parte of my coyne,

1 75 1 hee\ ee altered from is

1753 Dyce indicates the loss of a line; this must have happened at the top of fol. 2i'forti75i
is clearly the last on fol. 20''.

1766 the first deleted letter seems to be / or ^, the last/ or possibly h

Scxvi] Original Text (S) 59

I haue purchased as straunge comodities, ti 780

as euer you heard tell of in your life.
Lieu. Commodities my Lord ?

might I (with out ofifence) enquire of them ?
Moore. Croutches (M"" Lieutenant) and bare cloakes.

ffor halting Soldiours, and poore needie SchoUers,

haue had my gettings in the Chauncerie.

To thinke but what acheate the crowne shall haue,

by my attaindour. I pre thee, if thou beest a Gentleman,

get but a copie of my Inuentorie.

That parte of Poett that was giuen me, ti^go

made me a very vnthrift.

ffor this is the disease attends vs all,

Poets were neuer thriftie, neuer shall. / Enter Lady Moore mour(

Lieu. Oh noble Moore. iiing, daughters, M^ Roper(

My Lord, your wife, your sonne in lawe, and daughters.
Moore. Sonne Roper, welcome, welcome wife and Girles.

why doo you weepe ? because I Hue at ease ?

did you not see, when I was Chauncellour,

I was so cloyde with suters euery houre,

I could not sleepe, nor dine, nor suppe in quiet. tiSoo

Heer's none of this, heere I can sit and talke,

with my honest Keeper halfe a day together

laugh and be merie, why then should you weepe ?
Ro. These teares my Lord for this your long restraint

hope had dried vp, with comfort that we yet,

although impr isond, might haue had your life.
Moore. To liue in prison, what a life were that ?

The King (I thanke him) looues me more then so.

To morrowe I shall be at libertie,

to goe euen whether I can, tiSio

after I haue dispachte my busines.
Lady. Ah husband, husband, yet submit your selfe,

1787 acheate\ or a cheate (Dyce) ; either is a possible reading. 1799 cloyde] Dyce clogde

H 2

6o Sir Thomas More [Fols. 21^'''

haue care of your poore wife and children
Moore, wife, so I haue, and I doo leaue you all,

to his protection, hath the power to keepe

you, safer then I can,

the father of the widdowe and the Orphane.
Ro. The world (my Lord) hath euer held you wise,

And't shall be no distaste vnto your wisedome :

to yeeld to the oppinion of the state. ti82o

Moore. I haue deceiu'de my selfe, I must acknowledge ;

and as you say Sonne Roper, to confesse the same :

it will be no disparagement at all.
Lady. His Highnesse shall be certefyed therof, immediatly. / offring to depar(t
Moore. Nay heare me wife, first let me tell ye how,

I [had] thought to haue had a Barber for my beard,

now I remember, that were labour lost,

the headsman now shall cut off head and all.
Ro. wife, ffather, (h)is Maiestie vppon your meeke submission,

will yet (they say) receiue (you to his) grace : tiSso

( ) in as gre(at credit as you were before

Moore )g, FOL. 21''

has appoynted me to doo a little busines.

If that were past, my Girle thou then shouldst see,

what I would say to him about that matter.

But I shall be so busie vntill then :

I shall not tend it.
daugh. Ah my deare father.
Lady, deare Lord and husband.

1824 cettefyed\y ?i\\.ex^^'. Dyce certefied offring] Dyce Offering

1826 the second deleted letter is doubtful. haue had d\ had interlined.

1828-9 the words head and meeke are damaged in the MS. by an injury which does not appear in the
facsimile.

1829-30 the greater part of the words Maiestie vppon and say) receiue has disappeared from the MS.
owing to an injury which in the facsimile has only somewhat damaged vppon and receiue

1830 grace:] the e: still visible in the facsimile has disappeared from the MS.

1832 Dyce only prints the speaker's name in this line : this has now disappeared, but the second half
line probably reads wench, faith, my Lord the King, though the last letter alone is quite certain. ■

Scs. xvi, xvii] Original Text (S) 6i

Moore. Be comforted good wife, to Hue and looue my children, tiS^o

for with thee leaue I all my care of them.
Sonne Roper, for my sake, that haue loou'de thee well,
And for her vertues sake, cherishe my childe.
Girle, be not proude, but of thy husbands looue,
Euer retaine thy vertuous modestie.
That modestie is such a comely garment,
as it is neuer out of fashis : sits as faire,
vppon the meaner woman, as the Empresse.
No stuffe that golde can buye, is halfe so riche,

Nor ornament that so becomes a woman. tiSjo

Liue all, and looue together, and therby,
you giue your father a riche Obsequye.
both daugh. your blessing deare father.

Moore. I must be gon, (God blesse you,)

to talke with God, who now dooth call.
Lady, A my deare husband,
Moore. Sweet wife, good night, good night,
God send vs all his euerlasting light.
Ro. I thinke before this houre,

More heauie harts nere parted in the Tower. exeunt.

Enter the Sheriffes of London and their Officers at one doore, the
warders with their Halbards at an other. ti863

I. Sher. Officers, what time of day ist?

Offi. Almoste eight a clock
%. Sher. we must make then, least we stay to long.
I. Ward. Good morrowe M^ Shreeues of London, M^ Lieutenant,
willes ye repaire to the limits of the Tower
there to receiue your prisoner.
I. Sher. Goe back, and tell his woorship, we are readie.

1847 fashis .•] sic, the draft from which the scribe copied must have ha.d/(isAtJ: Dyce tmtnd. /asAioH
si/s] Dyceyf/j (the sense being the same).
1861 Scene xvii.

1863 /.] Dyce 2 1865 Dyce supplies kasie after make 1866 /.] Dyce 2

1869 Dyce is wrong in stating that the MS. reads 2 Sher.

62 Sir Thomas More [Fols. 2I^22»

2. Sher. Goe bid the Officers make cleare the way, tiSyo

there may be passage for the prisoner.

Enter Lieutenant and his Guarde with Moore.
Moore, yet God be thanked, heer's a faire day toward,

to take our iourney in : M^ Lieutenant,

It were faire walking on the Tower leades.
Lieu. And so it might haue likte my Soueraigne Lord,

I would to God you might haue walkte there still. / he weepes
Moore. Sir, we are walking to a better place.

Oh Sir, your kinde and loouing teares,

are like sweete odours to embalme your freend. ti88o

Thanke your good Lady, since I was your guest.

She has made me a very wanton in good sooth.
Lieu. Oh I had hopte we should not yet haue parted.
Moore. But I must leaue ye for a little whyle,

within an houre or two, you may looke for me.

But there will be so many come to see me,

that I shall be so proude, I will not speake.

And sure my memorie is growne so ill,

I feare I shall forget my head behinde me.
Lieu. God and his blessed Angelles be about ye, tiSgo

heere M'. Shreeues, receiue your prisoner.
Moore Good morrowe M"^- Shreeues of London to ye bothe,

I thanke ye that ye will vouch safe to meete me,

I see by this you haue not quite forgot,

that I was in times past as you are now ;

a Sheriffe of London.
I. Sher. Sir, then you knowe our dutie dooth require it.
Moore. I knowe it well Sir, else, I would haue bin glad,

you might haue sau'de a labour at this time.

Ah M^ Sheriffe, you and I haue bin of olde acquaintaunce, trgoo

you were a pacient Auditor of mine,

when I read the diuinitie lecture at S'. Lauraunces.

1884 TvhyU,] Dyce while 1 897 /.] Dyce 2

5c. xvii] Original Text (S) 63

a. Sher. S'. Thomas Moore, I haue heard you oft, as many other did,

to our great comforte.
Moore. Pray God you may so now, with all my hart.

And as I call to minde,

when I studyed the lawe in Lincolnes Inne,

I was of Councell (w)ith ye in a cause.
\ )Sher. I (was abou)t t(o say so good sir thomas

; FOL. 22*

Moore. Oh, is th(is) the place ? ti9"

I promise ye it is a goodly Scaffolde.

In sooth, I am come about a headlesse arrand,

fifor I haue not much to say, now I am heere.

well, let's ascend a Gods name

In troth me thinkes your stayre is somewhat weake,

I pre thee honest freend, lend me thy hand,

to help me vp : As for my comming downe,

let me alone, He looke to that my selfe. ti9i9

As he is going vp the stayres, enters the Earles of Surrye & Shre{wsburie
Moore. My Lords of Surrey and of Shrewesburie, giue me your hands yet before w(e

ye see, though it pleaseth the King to raise me thus high, yet I am not p<

for the higher I mounte, the better I can see my freends about me. I am no(w

farre voyage, and this straunge woodden horsse must beare me thether : yet I(

ceiue by your lookes you like my bargaine so ill, that ther's not one of ye all d(are
walking. venter with me. Truely heers a moste sweet Gallerie, I like the ayre of it bett(er

then my Garden at Chelsey. By your pacience good people, that haue prest th(us

into my bed chamber : if youle not trouble me, He take a sound sleepe heere.

1903 Moore^ comma doubtful.

1906-7 in the MS. to minde, and studyed the are damaged by an injury which does not appear in the
facsimile.

1907-8 in the MS. from the e of lawe to the first n of Inne is damaged and from the h of with to the
^J of cause almost wholly destroyed by an injury which in the facsimile has only damaged lawe in and ye
and Inne

1909 Dyce has 2 Sher. which seems probable, but his readings of numerals are not to be trusted.
■was adout] badly damaged.

1910 a few traces of descenders are visible, but nothing consecutive can be made out.
1922 Dyce supplies roud after^ 1923 Dyce supplies on a after now

1924 Dyce supplies /per aiteryet, but the / is visible.

64

Sir Thomas More

[FOL. 22"

Shrew,
Moore.

My Lord, twere good you'ld publishe to the worlde,
your great offence vnto his maiestie.

ti93o

I con-

giues him
his gowne.

Sur.

Moore.
[by the hangman.]
Hang.
Moore.
Hang.
Moore

his pursse.

Hang.
Moore.

Hang.
Moore.

My Lord, He bequeathe this legacie to the hangman, and doo it instantly

fesse his maiestie hath bin euer good to me, and my offence to his highnesse, make(s

me of a state pleader, a stage player, (though I am olde, and haue a bad voyce)t(o

act this last Sceane of my tragedie. He send him (for my trespasse) a reueren(d

head, somewhat balde, for it is not requisite any head should stand couerd to so

high maiestie. If that content him not, because I thinke my bodie will then do(o

me small pleasure, let him but burie it, and take it.

My Lord, my Lord, holde conference with your soule,

you see my Lord, the time of life is short.

I see it my good Lord : I dispachte that busines the last night, I come hether onl

to be let blood, my doctor heere telles me it is good for the head ache. fig^

I beseeche ye my Lord forgiue me.

fforgiue thee honest fellowe ? why ?

ffor your death my Lord.

O, my death ? I had rather it were in thy power to forgiue me, for thou hast the

sharpest action against me, the lawe (my honest freend) lyes in thy hands now.

Heers thy fee, and my good fellowe, let my suite be dispachte presently : for tis

all one payne to dye a lingering death, and to Hue in the continuall mill of<

a lawe-suite. But I can tell thee, my neck is so short, that if thou shoulds(t

behead an hundred noble men like my selfe, thou wouldst nere get credit by it

Therefore (looke ye Sir) doo it hansomely, or of my woord thou shalt neuei

deale with me heerafter. ti95:

He take an order for that my Lord.

One thing more, take heed thou cutst not off my beard : Oh, I forgot, execution*

past vppon that last night, and the bodie of it lies buried in the Tower.

Come, let's to the block.

My Lord, I pray ye put off your doublet.

No my good freend, I haue a great colde alreadie, and I would be lothe to tak*

more, point me meete the block, for I was nere heere before

Hang. To the Easte side my Lord.

1932 highnesse] interlined above maiestie crossed out. 1940 dispachte] Dyce dispcUchte

1941 the side note is crossed out in darker ink. 1944 pencil cross at end.

1947 Heers] Dyce hers 1656-64 marked for omission and crossed out.

c. xvii] Original Text (S) 65

Moore. Then to the Easte,

we goe to sighe, that ore, to sleep in rest.

No eye salute my trunck with a sad teare,

Our birth to heauen should be thus ; voyde of feare. exit.

Stay, ist not possible to make a scape from all this strong guarde ? it is

There is a thing within me, that will raise

and eleuate my better parte boue sight

of these same weaker eyes. And M^ Shreeues,

for all this troupe of Steele that tends my death,

I shall breake from you, and flye vp to heauen, +»97o

Lets seeke the meanes for this.
Hang, My Lord, I pray ye put off your doublet.
Moore. Speake not so coldely to me, I am hoarse alreadie,

I would be lothe good fellowe to take more,

Point me the block, I nere was heere before.
Hang. To the Easte side my Lord.
Moore. Then to the Easte,

we goe to sigh, that ore, to sleepe in rest

Heere Moore forsakes all mirthe, good reason why,

the foole of fleshe must with her fraile life dye. 11980

No eye salute my trunck with a sad teare.

Our birthe to heauen should be thus : voide of feare. exit.

Sur. A very learned woorthie Gentleman

Scales errour with his blood. Come, weele to Courte.

Lets sadly hence to perfect vnknowne fates,

whilste he tends prograce to the state of states.

ffinis.

1967 defter] b altered from/ 1982 Dyce supplies tvith Hangman, &»€. after exit

1984 weele] w altered from / ? 1985 vnknowne] no altered.

1986 whilste] i altered, perhaps in darker ink. 1987 Fol. 22'' blank.

66

Sir Thomas More

[FoL. 6'

Moore Now will I speake like Moore in melancholy

ffor if greefes power could w*^ her sharpest darts

pierce my firme bosome ; heres sufficient cause

to take my farewell of mirths hurtles iawes.

Poore humbled Lady, thou that wert of late

placde w'^ the noblest women of the land

Invited to their angell companies

seeming a bright Starre in the [heauen of] Courtly Sphere

why shouldst thou like a widow sit thus low

and all thy faire consorts [shun] moove from the clowds

that ouerdreep thy beautie and thy worth

He tell thee the true cause, the Court like heauen

examines not the anger of the [king ;] Prince

and being more fraile composde of guilded earth

shines vpon them on whom the [Prince] king doth shine

smiles if he smile, declines if he decline

Yet seeing both are mortall Court and king

shed not one teare for any earthly thing

FOL. 6»

ffor so God pdon me in my saddest hower

thou hast no more occasion to lament

nor these, nor those, my exile from the court

no nor [my mortall d] this bodyes tortur wert imposde

as commonly disgraes of great men

are the forewarnings of a hastie death

[Beleeue me] than to behold me after many a toyle

honord w'** endlesse rest. Perchance the king

Addition I.

This insertion has not been properly fitted into its context and appears in quite a wrong part of the
MS. It clearly belongs to sc. xiii, where it is presumably intended to replace tl47l-l5l6, on fol. 19", which
(except 1 1 502-5) are marked for omission and preceded by a reference sign.

1-7 1 in hand A, not found elsewhere.

I like Moore in] Moore interlined : Dyce like man in 2 if] interlined.

4 tawes.] the cross to the / may be accidental. 5-18 marked for omission.

7 Invited] v altered from u lo shun] un doubtful, possibly ou moove] v altered from u

12 thee the] the interlined. 14 more] interlined.

15 on]o altered from v king] interlined. 19 in] interlined. 22 wert] t altered from e

23 disgraes] sic, for disgraces, which Dyce prints.

Sc.xiii] Addition I (B) 67

seeing the Court is full of vanitie

has pittie least our soules shuld be misled

and sends vs to a life contemplatiue.

O happy banishment from worldly pride 30

when soules by priuate life are sanctifide
wife : O but I feare some plot against [hi] your life
Moore : why then tis thus ; the king of his high grace

seeing my faithfull seruice to his state

intends to send me to the king of heauen

for a rich present : where [if soules] my soule shall proue

a true remembrer of his majestie.

Come pre thee mourne [, since] not : the worst chance is death

and that brings endlesse joy for fickle breath./
wife: Ah but your children. 40

Moore : Tush let them alone, say they be stript from this poore painted cl(oth

this outside of the earth ; [what haue they] left houselesse, bare

they haue mindes instructed how to gather more

there's no man thats ingenuous can be poore.

And therefore doo not weep my little ones

though [all] you loose all the earth ; keep your soules eeuen

and you shall finde inheritance in heauen.

But for my seruants theres my cheefest care

[In you I] Come hether faithfull Steward be not greeude

that in thy pson I discharge both thee 50

and all thy other ffellow Officers

ffor my great Master hath discharged mee.

[So for the rest, my Gentlemen and y]

If thou by seruing me hast sufferd losse

28 soules shuld] sic. 32 deleted letters doubtful. 37 majestu.] sic.

39 bringsl the scribe wrote breeds and then altered eed to ing thus making the word into brings but
left the reading rather doubtful. Another hand, using blacker ink, then interlined another brings and
appears to have made an unsuccessful attempt to cross out the original reading. The interlined brings has
probably been gone over a second time with thicker ink of the same colour and a very scratchy pen.

joy] sic

44 therms] Dyce Theres 46 eeuen] sic. 52 great] g altered-

53-61 marked for omission.

I 2

68 Sir Thomas More [Fols. 6», 7*

then benefit thy selfe by leauing mee.

I hope thou hast not : for such times as theese ^

bring gaine to Officers who euer leese ' '

Great Lords haue onely name ; but in the[ir] fall

[ ] Lord Spend-alls Stuart's master gathers all

But I suspect not thee admit thou hast • 60

Its good the seruants saue when Masters wast./

But you poore Gentlemen that had no place

t'inrich your selues but by loathd briberie

w<=^ I abhord, and neuer found you loude i'

thinke when an oake fals vnderwood shrinkes downe

and yet may Hue though brusd, I pray ye striue

to shun my ruin for the ax is set '^

euen at my root to fell me to the ground.

the best I can doo to prefer you all [w']

w''' my meane store expect, for heauen can tell 70

that Moore loues all his followers more than well./

^Efid of Addition /.]

55 Z**^] J altered from <f^ 56 not\ interlined.

59 something at the beginning of the line has been crossed out, first by the scribe and again later in black ink,
gathers] s inserted in black ink.

61 good] od altered from d 63 your\y altered.

65-71 written up the left margin with a reference mark.

66 though] g inserted partly covering u 71 Moore] second altered from r

Fol. e^ blank.

xiii, iv] Additions I and II (A, B) 69

clo come come wele tickle ther turnips wele bu(tter ther) boxes FOL, 7*

shall strangers Rule the Roste [yes] but wele baste [yt] the roste

come come a flawnt a flaunte
gorge brother giue place and heare lohn lincolne speake

clo I lincolne my leder and doll [his] my true breder w**" the rest of

our crue shall Ran tan tarra ran. doo all they what they can

shall we be bobd braude no shall we be hellde vnder no. we ar fre

borne and doo take skome to be [so.] vsde soe /
doll pease theare I saye heare captaine lincolne speake.

kepe silens till we know his minde at large. 10

clo [come on than] then largelye dilHuer speake buUie and he that presumes to [speak before y*]

interrupte the in thie orratione this for him [capatene]
lincol then gallant bloods you whoes fre sowles doo skorne

to beare the inforsed wrongs of alians

ad rage to Ressolutione fier the howses

of theis audatious strangers : This is S' martins

and yonder dwells mutas a welthy piccardye

at the greene gate

de barde peter van hollocke adrian Martine

w"* many more outlandishe fugetiues ao

shall theis enioy more priueledge then wee

in our owne cuntry. lets become ther slaiues

Addition II.

This insertion, comprising fols. 7-9, is a composite work of three different scribes, working however in conjunction.
jol. 7 contains a somewhat elaborated draft of sc iv (fol. 5^ 412-52). The original scene is marked for deletion
md the new draft obviously intended to take its place. Sc. iv was originally followed by the prentice scene (sc v),
)f which only the opening remains (fol. s**, 453-72), and which was entirely cancelled in revision. On the verso of
ol. 7, in a second hand, is a scene (sc. v*) which may or may not be a revision of some original scene which has
sntirely disappeared in the hiatus between fols. 5 and 10. Fols. 8% 8^, 9^ (9^ being blank) contain the re\nsion, in
ithird hand, of the beginning of the insurrection scene (sc. vi). The original draft of the opening of this scene has
iisappeared, the latter part is contained in fol. 10, *476-565. Note that it is '476 that follows continuously upon
[I. 270, *473-5 being marked for deletion as forming part of the original prose speech by More rendered in
i^erse by the reviser.

1-64 in hand B. 2 deletion diyes not quite certain : Dyce retains it. 4 gorged Dyce George

5 my true\ my interiined. li then largelye dilliuer] interlined. 14 alians] Dyce alierts

17 mutas] t altered from / in darker ink by C ?

18-20 a cross in right margin, apparently in same ink as text, cf. fol. 5'', 418-21. 19 barde] Dyce Bard

22 slaiues] the dot of the / has been crossed out in modem ink : Dyce slaues

yo Sir Thomas More [Fols.7^''

since lustis kepes not them in greater awe
wele be our Selues Rough ministers at lavve.
clo vse no more swords nor no more words but fier the howses

braue captaine curragious fier me ther howses
doll I for we maye as well make bonefiers on maye daye as
at midsomer wele alter the daye in the callinder and sett
itt downe in flaming letters
sher staye no that wold much indanger the hole cittie 30

wher too I wold not the leaste preiudice.
doll no nor I nether so maie mine owne howse be burnd for companye
ile tell ye what wele drag the strangers into more feldes &
theare bumbaste them till they stinke a gaine
clo and thats soone doone for they smell for feare all redye.
Geor let some of vs enter the strangers houses

and if we finde them theare then bringe them forthe
doll but if ye bringe them forthe eare ye finde them lie neare

alowe of thatt
clo now marsse for thie honner dutch or frenshe so yt be a wenshe 40

ile vppon hir
WiLLlA now lads howe shall we labor in o'' saftie

I heare the maire hath gatherd men in armes
and that shreue more an hower a goe Risseude
some of the privye cownsell in at ludgate
forse now must make our pease or eles we fall
twill soone be knowne we ar the principal 1
doll and what of that if thow beest a fraide husband go home a
gaine and hide thy hed for by the lord lie haue a lyttill sporte
now we ar att ytt 50

[Lin] Geor lets stand vppon o' swords and if they come

24 Rough] Dyce roughe

25 words] r altered. 25, 26 howses] Dyce houses but u and w are almost indistinguishable in B.

26 small pencil cross at end. 27 bonefiers] altered. 31 leaste] Dyce least

32 maie] mterlined. 33 tell] e altered. 35 doone] 00 badly formed, more like ar or ow

41 hir] h altered. Dyce supplies S.D. Exeunt Sherwin^ Clowne, and others, after hir

^2 Willid] written in darker ink by C over Linco of B. howe] Dyce sure

44 shreue \ shr altered. 48 thow] Dyce thou 51 swords] Dyce swerds

i

Scs.iv,v»] Addition II (B, C) 71

Resseaue them as they weare our eninemyes
clo a purchase a purchase we haue fownd we ha fownde
doll what

clo nothinge nott a frenshe fleminge nor a fleming frenshe
to be fownde but all fled in plaine inglishe
Linco how now haue you fownd any
Sher no not one theyre all fled
Lincol then fier the houses that the maior beinge busye

aboute the quenshinge of them we maye skape 60

burne downe ther kennells let vs straite awaye
leaste this daye proue to vs an ill maye daye
clo fier fier ile be the firste

if hanginge come tis welcome thats the worste
Manett Clowne /
(En)ter At on dore S*^ Thomas moore and Lord raaire : FOL. 7*»

Att an other doore S' lohn Munday Hurt.
what S' lohn muday are yo° hurt

Z. Maior.
S' lohn.

A little knock my lord [her] ther was even now

a sort of prentises playing at Cudgells 70

I did Comaund them to ther m" howses ,

but one of them Backt by the other crew

wounded me in the forhead w'^ his Cudgill

and now I feare me they are gon to loine

w'^ Lincolne Sherwine and ther dangerous traine

Moore, the Captaines of this Insurection

have tane them selves to armes. and cam but now
to both the counters wher they have releast

52 enimmyes] sic, for eneniyes but the i has been crossed out in modem ink : Dyce entietnyes
Dyce supplies S.D. Re-enter Sherwin, Clcnvne, and others, after this line.

55 fleminge] Dyce Fleming 56 be] interlined. 59 maior'] Dyce Mater

63-5 written up right margin with a reference line. 64 hanginge] Dyce hanging

65 added in a diflferent hand, C ? The most likely explanation of this, as it stands, obviously wrong
addition, seems to be that C intended to continue with a revision of sc. v (fol. 5^ 453 &c.) and to carry the
Clown over from the one to the other. If so the intention was abandoned. Dyce supplies S.D. Exeunt.

66 Scene v*.

66-122 in hand C. 68-75 marked for omission.

69 her] er doubtful, the word was crossed out by the scribe and has been further deleted in
a different ink. 73 forhead] h altered from r ?

72 Sir Thomas More [Fols. f, 8*

sundrie Indetted prisoners, and from thence

I heere y' they are gonn Into S' martins 80

wher they Intend to offer violence

to the amazed Lombards therfore my lord

If we expect the saftie of the Cittie

[twere] tis time that force or parley doe encownter

w'*" thes displeased men. Enter A messenger

L. maior. how now what newes

Mess, my Lord the rebells have broake[n] open newegate
from whence they have deliverd manie prisoners
both fellons and notorious murderers

that desperatlie cleave to ther Lawles traine 90

L Maior. vpp w"" the draw bridge gath"^ som forces

to Cornhill and cheapside. And gentle men.
If dilligence be vsde one every side
A quiet Ebb will follow this rough tide
Enter Shrowsberie Surrie Palmer. Cholmley

Shro. Lord maior his ma**^ receaving notice,
of this most dangerous Insurection.
hath sent my lord of Surry and my self
S"^ Thomas palmer and o"^ followers

to add vnto o' forces o' best meanes lo

for pacifying of this mutinie
In gods name then sett one w'** happie speed
the king laments If one true Subiect bleede
Surr, I heere they meane to fier the Lumbards howses
oh power what art thou in a madmans eies
thou makst the plodding Iddiott Bloudy wise
Moore, my Lords I dowt not but we shall appease

w**^ a calm breath this flux of discontent
Palme, to call them to a parley questionles

87 the deletion of n not quite certain : Dyce omits it.

100 c^ forces] Dyce ^mtndi. your forces 105 ihou] Dyce is wrong in stating that the MS. reads then

109 the speaker's name is written rather too low: Dyce prefixed it to no, thus ignoring the speech-
division lines.

5CS. v,vi] Addition II (C,D) 73

may fall out good, tis well said m"^ moore no

Moor, letts to thes simple men for many sweat

vnder this act that knowes not the lawes debtt

w'^'* hangs vppon ther lives, for sillie men.

pi odd on they know not [ow] how. [like a fooles penn]

that ending showes not any sentence writt

Hnckt but to common reason or sleightest witt

thes follow for no harme but yett Incurr

self penaltie w'^ those that raisd this stirr

A gods name one to calme o' privat foes

w'^ breath of gravitie not dangerous bio wes exeunt lao

Enter Lincoln, Doll. Clown. Georg betts zvilliamson others

And A sergaunt at amies
Lincolne Peace heare me, he that will not see (a red) hearing a(t) a harry FOL. 8»

grote, butter at a levenp(enc)e a p(ounde meale at) nyne shillings a

Bushell and Beeff at fower (nobles a stone lyst) to (me)
[other] Geo BETT yt will Come to that passe yf stra(ingers be su)fferd marke him
Linco our Countrie is a great eating Country, argo they eate more in

our Countrey then they do in their owne
[other] BETTS CLOW by a half penny loff a day troy waight

Line they bring in straing rootes, which is meerly to the vndoing of poor 1 30

prentizes, for whatj [a watrie] or sorrj' psnyp to a good hart
[oth] WILLIAN trash trash ; they breed sore eyes and tis enough to infect the
Cytty w' the palsey

Lin nay yt has infected yt w' the palsey, for theise basterdj of dung

as you knowe they growe in Dvng haue infected vs, and yt is our

III thes] Dyc^ the

1 1 3-16 marked for omission, but a subsequent mark after 113 may be intended to make the omission
begin at 114 only. 1 14 the first deletion seems to be of o and beginning of w 120 blowes] w altered.

121 Scene vi.

123-270 in hand D. Fol. 8 has first been mended with tracing paper and has then been pasted over on
both sides with the same. The numerous alterations in the speakers' names are by C.

123 harry] Dyce Herry (but probably wrong). 125 BeeJ^] first e altered.

126 Geo bett] inserted by C. marke] Dyce Mark

127 Linco] in two minims only, but the first is dotted. 129 betts clow] inserted by C.

131 the deletion should have been of watrie or and it is so treated by Dyce.

132 willian] sic, inserted by C : Dyce William 134 dung] un has one minim too many.

K

74

Sir Thomas More

[FoLS. 8

a, b

infeccion will make the Cytty shake which ptly Corns through
the eating of psnyps
[o] Clown. BETTS trewe and pumpions togeather

Enter Seriant what say (ye to the) mercy of the king do yo" refuse yt

Lin yo" (would haue vs) vppon thipp woold yo" no marry do we not, we 140
accept of the kingy mercy but wee will showe no mercy vppo
the st(raungers)
seriaunt
Lin

Ge

yo" ar the (simplest) thingj that eu' stood in such a question
how say yo" now prenti prentisses symple downe w"^ him
all prentisses symple prentisses symple.

Enter the L. maier Surrey
Shrewsbury
[Sher] MAIOR hold in the kingj name hold
Surrey frendj masters Countrymen

mayer peace how peace I [sh] Charg yo" keep the peace

Shro. my maisters Countrymen

WILLIAMSON The noble Earle of Shrewsbury letty hear him

150

betty
Line
betty
all
Line

Surr
all

weele heare the earle of Surrey

the earle of Shrewsbury

weele heare both

both both both both

Peace I say peace ar yo" men of Wisdome [ar] or

what ar yo"

[But] what yo" will haue them but not men of Wisdome

weele not heare my L of Surrey, [ ] no no no no no

160

138 Clown, betis] inserted by C ; it is not quite certain whether the preceding has been deleted.

139 i^w/^r] interlined by C : Dyce omits. yOu\ Dyct ye 141 j^^w^] w altered ?

144 how say yo^l inserted by D. yo" Yiyc&ye now prenti'] interlined byD. prenti] reading
doubtful : Dyce prentisses (but the whole word is certainly not there).

145 a cross at the end probably in modem ink or pencil.

147 Dyce (Corrigenda) supplies Palmer, Cholmley, and Moore after Shrewsbury

148 maior] inserted by C.

149-50 the rule which should come between these lines appears to have been omitted.
150 the second deleted letter is doubtful.

1 52 Williamson] written by C, the first five letters covering D's Sher ^1

153 Ge] added by C. i^

154 Shrowsbury] Dyce Shrewsbury f
160 the deleted word may be all (it has been crossed out in darker ink).

Sc. vi]

Addition II (D)

75

Shrewsbury shr

moor

Line
Doll

all
moor

all
all
Lincolne bettj

whiles they ar ore the banck of their obedyenc

thus will they here downe all th(ings)

Shreiff moor speakes shall we heare shreef moor speake

Letty heare him (a) keepes a plenty full shrevaltry, and a made my

Brother Arther watch(ins) Seriant S(af)es yeoman letj heare

shreeve moore

Shreiue moor moor more Shreue moore

(even) by the rule yo"* haue among yo"^ sealues

(comand sti)ll audience

(Surrey S)ury

(moor moor)

FOL. S**

«7i

moor

Lincolne

Moor

Doll

all
moor

peace peace scilens peace.

Yo" that haue voyce and Credyt w' the [Mv] nvmber

Comaund them to a stilnes

a plaigue on them they will not hold their peace the deule

Cannot rule them

Then what a rough and ryotous charge haue yo'*

to Leade those that the deule Cannot rule

good masters heare me speake

I byth mas will we moor thart a good howskeeper and I

thanck thy good worship for my Brother Arthur watchins

peace peace

180

look what yo" do offend yo'' Cry vppo

that is the peace, not ( of yo" heare) present

had there such fellowes, lyv(d w)hen yo" wer babes

that coold haue topt the p(eace) as nowe yo" woold

the peace wherin yo" haue till nowe growne vp

had bin tane from yo°, and the bloody tymes

coold not haue brought yo° to [ ] the state of men

190

161 inserted later by D. shr\ Dyce Shrewsbury 162 obedyenc\ Dyce obedyence

166 watchins^ the last three letters are obscured by a smudge of darker ink. yeoman\ o altered in
darker ink.

178 Moor^ Dyce Moore 182 watchins^ c altered from beginning of A?

190 two short words appear to be deleted.

K 2

76 Sir Thomas More [Fols.8'',9»

alas poor thingj what is yt yo" haue gott }

although we graunt yo" geat the thing yo" seeke
[D] Bett marry the removing of the straingers w*^** cannot choose but

much [helpe] advauntage the poor handycraftes of the Cytty
moor graunt them remoued and graunt that this yo"^ [y] noyce

hath Chidd downe all the matie of Ingland

ymagin that yo" see the wretched straingers

their babyes at their backj, and their poor lugage

plodding tooth portj and costj for transportacion

and that yo" sytt as kingj in your desyres 200

aucthoryty quyte sylenct by yo"^ braule

and yo" in ruff of yo"^ [yo] opynions clothd

what had yo"" gott, I'le tell yo", yo" had taught

how insolenc and strong hand shoold prevayle

how ordere shoold be quelld, and by this patterne

not on of yo" shoold lyve an aged man

for other ruffians as their fancies wrought

with sealf same hand sealf reasons and sealf right

woold shark on yo" and men lyke ravenous fishes

woold feed on on another 210

Doll before god thatj as trewe as the gospell

[Bettj] LINCOLN nay this a sound fellowe I tell yo" lets mark him
MOOR Let me sett vp before yo' thoughts good freindj

on supposytion which if yo" will marke

yo" shall pceaue howe horrible a shape

yo"^ ynnovation beres, first tis a sinn

which oft thappostle did forwarne vs of vrging obedienc to aucthory(ty

and twere [ ] no error yf I told yo" all yo" wer in armes gainst g(

193 D] doubly deleted, first by D and then in darker (modem ?) ink.

194 handy craftes\ e doubtful, Dyce omits, but there is something between t and s

195 noyce\ y altered from w ? 196 matte] sic, without any mark of contraction.

204 insolenc] Dyce insolence 210 a cross at the end probably in modern ink or pencil.

212 //«fo/»] inserted by C. Dyce supplies /j after />%« (unnecessarily).

213 moor] added by C. 217 obedienc] Dyce obedience aucthoryty] Dyce authority

11% g] Dyce your and supplies sovereign (but there is no possible room for such an addition, and the
first letter is certainly g not y ; moreover the context imperatively requires god).

sc. vi] Addition II (D) 77

all marry god forbid that FOL. 9*

moo nay certainly yo" ar

for to the king god hath his ofifyce lent aai

of dread of lustyce, power and Comaund

hath bid him rule, and willd yo" to obay

and to add ampler matie. to this
he [god] hath not [le] only lent the king his figure

his throne [his] sword, but gyven him his owne name

calls him a god on earth, what do yo" then

rysing gainst him that god himsealf enstalls

but ryse gainst god, what do yo° to yo' sowles

in doing this o desperat [ar] as you are. 330

wash your foule mynds w' teares and those same handy

that yo*" lyke rebells lyft against the peace

lift vp for peace, and your vnreuerent knees

[that] make them your feet to kneele to be forgyven

[is safer warrs, then euer yo" can make]

[whose discipline is ryot ; why euen yo"^ [warrs] hurly] [in in to yo' obedienc]

[cannot f)ceed but by obedienc] TELL ME BUT THIS what rebell captaine

as mutynes ar incident, by his name

can still the rout who will obay [th] a traytor

or howe can well that pclamation sounde 240

when ther is no adicion but a rebell

to quallyfy a rebell, youle put downe straingers

kill them cutt their throts possesse their howses

and leade the matie of lawe in liom

220 ar\ Dyce are

226 pencil cross at beginning. his has certainly been crossed out, and something may have been
written over it : Dyce and

233 an interlineation intended to come before your has been erased ; it may have been intended
to replace and

235-7 all the deletions, except that of warrs in 236, are in darker ink by C.

236 hurly\ («r doubtful) apparently added to replace warrs deleted. in in to yo' obedienc.'\ interlined
by D above the second half of the line. obedienc.] Dyce obedience

237 obedienc] Dyce obedience tell me but this] interlined by C above what precedes.

238 mutynes] n interlined : Dyce mutynies 240 sounde] un wants a minim.
241 ther] r altered from ir 244 matie] sic, without any mark of contraction.

78 Sir Thomas More [FoLs-g^.n*"

to sHpp him lyke a hound ; [saying] [alas alas] say nowe the king

as he is clement, yf thoffendor moorne
"^oold so much com to short of your great trespas

as but to banysh yo", whether woold yo" go.

what Country by the nature of yo"^ error

shoold gyve you harber go yo" to fFraunc or flanders 250

to any larman pvince, [to] spane or portigall

nay any where [why yo"] that not adheres to Ingland

why yo" must needy be straingers. woold yo" be pleasd

to find a nation of such barbarous temper

that breaking out in hiddious violence

woold not afoord yo", an abode on earth

whett their detested knyves against yo"^ throtes

spurne yo" lyke doggj, and lyke as yf that god

owed not nor made not yo", nor that the elamenty

wer not all appropriat to [ther] yo"" Comforty. 260

but Charterd vnto them, what woold yo" thinck

to be thus vsd, this is the straingers case
all and this your momtanish inhumanyty

fayth a sales trewe letts vs do as we may be doon by
[all] LiNCO weele be ruld by yo" master moor yf youle stand our

freind to pcure our pdon
moor Submyt yo" to theise noble gentlemen

entreate their mediation to the kinge

gyve vp yo' sealf to forme obay the maiestrate

and thers no doubt, but mercy may be found, yf yo" so seek it 270

\End of Addition II. "]

245 alas a/as] interlined by D, crossed out by C. 248 pencil cross at end.

250 £yve] Dyc&geve jffraunc\ Dyce Fraunce 251 spane] Dyce Spaine

254 barbarous] second r altered. 260 yti^] interlined. 262 pencil cross at end.

263 all] belongs to 264 where Dyce places it. momtanish] the interpretation ' mawmtanish, Maho-
metanish ' is unsatisfactory : Dyce emend, mountanish and H. Bradley conj. (privately) moritanish
inhumanyty] Dyce inhumanytye 264 vs] crossed out in modern ink : Dyce omits.

265 Linco] inserted by C. master] Dyce Maister

269 gyve] Dyce Geve yo'' sealf] Dyce yoursealfe

270 may] Dyce male yo"] 0" badly formed. it] there is certainly some word after seek but the
exact form is doubtful : Dyce omits. Fol. 9*^ blank.

Scs. vi, viii] Additions II and III (D, C) 79

Enter moore

It is in heaven that I am thus and thus FOL. 11*^

And that w*''' we prophanlie terme 0"" fortuns

Is the provision of the power aboue

fitted and shapte lust to that strength of nature

w'^^ we are borne good god good god

that I from such an humble bench of birth

should stepp as twere vp to my Countries head

And give the law out ther I in my fathers lif

to take prerogative and tyth of knees 10

from elder kinsmen and him bynd by my place

to give the smooth and dexter way to me

that owe it him by nature, sure thes things

not phisickt by respecte might turne o' bloud

to much Coruption. but moore. the more thou hast

ether of honor office wealth and calling

w*^ might [acce] accite thee to embrace and hugg them

the more doe thou in serpents natures thinke them

feare ther gay skinns w'^ thought of ther sharpe state

And lett this be thy maxime, to be greate ao

Is when the thred of hazard is once Spufi

A bottom great woond vpp greatly vndonn.

{End of Addition //I.]

Addition III.

This insertion is on a piece of paper pasted on to the lower part of foh ii^, and covering *76i-96
of the deleted sc. viii a. From its position it would seem that the addition was intended to stand at the
beginning of the revised sc. viii (fol. 12*) but the necessary alteration in the S.D. has not been made, and
the additional speech has no connexion with what follows. It might of course be treated as an independent
scene (cf. V), but such does not appear to have been the intention of the scribe. If it is intended to form
part of what follows it is of course a subsequent addition. Dyce inserts it, making the necessary alterations
in the S.D.

Fol. II** blank. 1-22 in hand C.

I Enter] Dyce omits. 2 heaven] Dyce Heauen 6 Dyce supplies withal after borne

9 out] might be ont lif] Dyce life 15 Coruption^ Dyce corruption

21 hazard] Dyce hay day SpuH] Dyce spoun

So Sir Thomas More [Fol. 12'

Enter S'' Thomas moore and his man A tired like him FOL. 12»

Moore. Com on sir are yo" redy

Randall, yes my Lord I stand but one a few points. I shall have donn p'sentlie. before god

I have practised yo'^ Lordshipps shift so well, that I thinke I shall grow prowd

my Lord

Moore, tis fitt thou shouldst wax prowd. or ells thoult nere

be neere allied to greatnes. observe me Sirra

the Learned Clarke Erasmus is arived

w'^in o"" english court. Last night I heere

he feasted w*^ o*" honord English poet «<

the Earle of Surrey, and I leamd to day

the famous clarke of Rotherdam will visett

S"^ Thomas moore, therfore sir take my seate

yo" are Lord Chauncelor. dress yo' behaviour

according to my carriage but beware

yo" talke not over much for twill betray thee

who prates not much seemes wise his witt few scan

while the [tog] tongue Blabs tales of the Imperfitt man.

lie see If greate Erasmus can distinguishe

meritt and outward Cerimony

Rand. If I doe not deserve a share for playing of yo*" Lo. well, lett me be yeoman

vsher to yo' Sumpter and be banisht from wearing of a gold chaine for ever

Moore, well sir He hide o"^ motion act my part

w*^ a firme Boldnes and thou winst my hart
how now whats the matter.

Faulk. Tugg me not I me noe beare. sbloud If all the

Enter The Shreiue w^''

Fawkner a ruffin
and officers

doggs in paris garden, hung at my tale. Ide shake em of w''' this, that He

Addition IV.

This insertion originally filled three and a half pages and was all in one hand : subsequently a secoi
hand made an addition in the blank space left at the end. It replaces a passage in the original (sc. viii) which begj
on fol. 11'', *735, filled one or more original leaves which have disappeared between fols. ll and 14, and the who
of fol. 14% ending at ^\Z^(i. It is not clear whether this was all one scene in the original draft or not, but for purpos
of numbering it may be assumed that it was, since the revised version is continuous. In that case the chief altei
tion made by the reviser seems to have been the division of the Faukner portion into two parts and the insertion
the Erasmus portion between them.

I -2 II in hand C. 19 Erasmus] mu has one minim too many. 20 pencil cross at end.

26 beare\ b altered. 27 shake\ k altered.

viii] Addition IV (C) 8i

appeere. before noe king Cirstned but my good Lord Chauncelor
Shre. weele cristen yo" sirra. bring him forward.
Moore how now what tumults make yo° 30

fall, the azurd heavens protect my noble Lord chauncelor
Moore, what fellowes this.
Shre. A Ruffian my Lord that hath sett half the Cittie in an vpprore
Folk, my Lord.
Shre. ther was a fray in paternoster row. and because they would not be pted. the

street was choakt vpp w'** carts.
fauk. my noble Lord paniar Allies throat was open.
Moore S'a hold yo' peace
fauk He prove the street was not choakt. but is as well as ever it was since It was

A streete 4©

Shreu. this fellow was a principall broacher of the broile
fawk. Sbloud I bro[ ]cht none. It was broacht and half ronn out before I had

a lick at it
Shre. and would be brought before noe lustice but yo' honor
Fauk. I am haild my noble Lord
Moore, no eare to choose for every triviall noice
but mine, and in so full a time, away
yo" wronge me m' shreve. dispose of him
at yo*^ own e plesure. send the knave to newgate
Fauk. [sbloud] to newgate sbloud S' Thomas moore. I appeale I appeale? from 50

newgate t o any of the two worshippfull counters
Moore, fellow wh ose man are yo° that are thus lustie
Fauk. ray names lack fawkner. I serve next vnder god and my prince m"^ morris secritary

to my Lord of Winchester
Moore. A fellow of yo' haire is very fitt. to be a secretaries follower
Fauk. I hope so my Lord, the fray was betweene the Bishopps men of Eelie and
Winchester, and I could not in honor but pte them. I thought it stood not w***
my reputation and degree, to com to my Questions and aunswers. befor A
a Citty lu stice. I knew I should to the pott

Zlffall.] altered : Dyce Falk azurd] Dyce azurde 42 brocht] c interlined above a letter (« or a?) deleted.

43 pencil cross at end. 45 Fauk.] i^altered from/ 50 appeals?] i. e. appeale ! 53 next] interlined.

•itary] Dyce secretary 56 Eelie] sic. 58 befor] Dyce before 58-9 A a] sic : Dyce a

L

82 Sir Thomas More [Fols.

la"*

Moore, thou hast byn ther It seemes to late all redie JFOL. 12^

Fauk I know yo^ honor is wise, and so forth, and I desire to be only [ch] cattachizd

or examind by yo" my noble Lord chauncelor

Moore Sirra. sirra you are a busie dangerous ruffian.
Faiik. Ruffian.

Moore, how long have yo" worne this haire
Faiik I have worne this haire ever since I was borne
Moore you know thats not my Question, but how long hath this shagg fleece hunj

dangling on thy head
Fauke. how long my Lord, why somtimes thus Long somtimes Lowere as the fates

humors please.
Moore. So Quick sir w'^ me. ha ? I see good fellow, thou lovest plaine dealing, sirr

tell me now when [whe] were yo" last at Barbars. how longe time have yoi

vppon yo*^ head woorne this shagg haire
Fauke. My Lord lack faukner tells noe Esops fabls. troth I was not at Barbar

this three yeires. I have not byn Cutt nor will not be cutt. vppon a

foolish vow. w'^^ as the destanies shall derect I am swome to keepe
Moore, when comes that vow out

Fauk. why when the humors are purgd not this three years
Moore vowes are recorded in the court of heaven.

for they are holly acts, yong man I charge thee

and doe advize thee start not from y' vow

and for I will be sure thou shalt not shreve

besids because It is an odious sight

to see a man thus hairie. thou shalt lie

In Newgate till thy vow and thy three years

be full expired. Away w^'' him

Fauke my Lord

Moor. Cut of this fleece and lie ther but a moneth
Fauke. He not loosse a haire to be Lord Chauncelor of Europe
Moore to newgate then. Sirra great sinns are Brede 90

61 the second deleted letter is unfinished. 72 have] v altered ? 74 fabls.] Dyct fables

78 this] Dyce theis 82 shreve] Dyce conj. swerve 83 besids] Dyce Besides

89 Fauke.] Dyce Fauk loosse] Dyce loose

Sc. nii] Addition IV (C) 83

in all that Body wher thers a foule head, away w'^ him. exeunt
Enter Surry Erasmus and Attendaunts.

Surry, now great Erasmus you approch the p'^sence

of a most worthy Learned gentleman.

this Little He holds not a trewer frend

vnto the arts, nor doth his greatnes add

A fained florish to his worthie pts

hees great in studie thats the statists grace

that gaines more Reverence then the outward place.
Erasmus. [It is Erasmus\ Report my Lord hath Crost the narrow seas loo

and to the several! pts of Christendom

hath borne the same of yo"^ Lord chauncelor

I long to see him whom w'^ loving thoughts

I in my studie oft have visited

Is that S"" Thomas moore
Surry. It is Erasmus

now shall yo" vew the honorablest scholler

the most religious pollititian.

the worthiest Counsailor that tends o'' state

that study is the generall watch of England i lo

In it the princes saftie and the [state] peace

that shines vppon o"^ Comon wealth are forgd

by Loiall Industrie
Erasmus. I dowt him not

to be as neere the lif of Excellence

as you proclaime him when his meanest servaunts

are of some waight you saw my lord his porter

give entertainment to vs at the gate

in Latten. good phrase, whats the m^ then.

when such good pts shine in his meanest men. no

91 Dyce supplies all except Randall, after exeunt

92 Attendaunts] Dyce Attendants 102 same] sic, {or fame, which Dyce prints.

107 vew] reading doubtful : v and lu are clear, and between them is what might be either e or o, but
is more like the latter ; then above this is a mark which may be meant either to turn o into e or if the letter
is already e to indicate an i before it : Dyce view

108 religious] r^/ altered. 115 lif] Dyce life

L 2

84 Sir Thomas More [Fols. I2^I3•

Surry, his Lo hath som waightie Busines

for see as yett he takes noe notice of vs FOL. 13*

Erasmus. I thinke twere best I did my dutie to him

in a short Latin speech. Qui in Celiberima\^ ] patria natus est ett \

Gloriosa\ ] plus habet negotij et in [fuftem] Lucem veniat quam qui \

Rand. I pry thee good Erasmus be Covered. I have for sworne speaking of lattinl

as I am true Counsailor Ide tickle yo" w'** a speech, nay Sitt Erasmus, sitll

good my Lord of Surry. He make my Lady Com to yo" annon If she wil

and give y o" entertainment
Erasmus. Is this S*^ Thomas Moore 13(1

Surry, oh good Erasmus yo" must Conceave his vaine hees ever furnisht w'** the;|

Conceits
Rand, yes faith my learned poet doth not lie for that matter. I am nether morl

Enter !^ Thomas nor less then mery S"^ Thomas allwaies. wilt supp w''' me. by god I lovj
moore. a parlous wise fellow that smells of a pollititian. better then a long progresj

Surry, we are deluded, this is not his Lordshipp \

Rand. I pray yo" Erasmus how longe will the holland cheese in yo"" [Coiateyrie] Countri

keepe w'^out maggetts.
Moore, foole painted Barbarisme retire thy self

Into thy first creation thus yo" see i.

my loving learned frends how far respecte

waites often on the Cerimonious traine

of bace lUitterate welth whilst men of schooles

shrowded in povertie are cownted fooles

pdon thou reverent germaine I have mixt

so slight a lest to the faire Entertainment

of thy most worthy self, for know Erasmus

mirth wrinckls vpp my face and I still Crave

124 Celiberii>id\ a altered ; final m ? deleted.

125 Gloriosa\ a altered; final mt deleted. negotij^ Dyce negotii ei\ Dyce emend, ut Lucet
interlined; ^w altered. 127 Dyce supplies ^/.y^ before aj.

137 Couteyrie] The original reading was probably Contey then n being treated as u had a mark placed over
to give the reading un and the last three letters, which are however doubtful, were added ; the scribe no doubt tb
intended to delete ey but seeing the confusion he had produced altered his mind and struck out the whole woi

Countrie\ interlined.

140 Dyce supplies the s.D. Exit Randal. aSttr creation 143 bace] Dyce dase lUitterate'] DycQ I'llitter,

144 cownted] Dyce counted M^ Crave] C sltertd irom g

!

i] Addition IV (C) 85

When that forsaks me I may [have] hugg my grave
Erasmus, yo' honors mery humor is best phisick et tu Erasmus an 150

vnto yo"^ able Boddy. for we leame Diabolus

wher mellancholly choaks the passages

of bloud and breth the errected spirit still

lengthens o"^ dayes w'^ sportfull exercise

studie should be the saddest time of lif

the rest a sport exempt from thought of strife
Moore. Erasmus preacheth gospell against phisicke.

my noble poet
Surry, oh my [noble] Lord yo** tax me

in that word poet of much Idlenes i6o

It is a studie that maks poore o' fate

poets were ever thought vnfitt for state
Moore, o give not vp faire poisie sweet Lord

to such Contempt that I may speake my hart

It is the sweetest heraldrie of art

that setts a difference tweene the tough sharpe holly

and tender Bay tree
Surry yett my lord. It is become the very Lagg in number

to all mechanick sciences
Moore, why He show the reason 170

this is noe age for poets they should sing

to the lowd Canon Heroic a facta

quifaciunt reges heroica Carmiua lawdant

and as great subiects of ther pen decay

\^<^ forsaksX Tlyce forsakes ^i"££'] interlined.

150 hotiors] Dyce honers Dyce supplies aut after et and after an presumably intending substitution.

154 /^»^Ae«j] ^ altered from / 155 ///] "Dyct life 161 maks] Dyce makes

163 ^'ve] }v altered from u

168 La^g" in] reading very doubtful ; the first letter can hardly be anything but a badly formed L. the second is
imost certamly a, the third certainly^, the fourth is badly blotted and may have been deleted, it looKs most like^,
hile above it are marks resembling the dot of an / and an Italian c ; then after a blank, and rather close to the
ext word, is something blotted or deleted, which may conceivably be in though it looks more like n ; it seems most
kely that the apparent deletions and interlineations are due to blots or sets off from the opposite page (there is at
ast one other mark in the neighbourhood presumably due to that cause) : Dyce logic (doubtfully).

1 73 f'^£^s] second e altered ?

86 Sir Thomas More [Fols. 13*.'

^ — . . — — . ■ _ — j

even so vnphisickt they doe melt away Enter m" Morris \

Com will yo' Lordshipp in ? my deere Erasmus !

He heere yo" m"^ moris presentlie. I

my Lord I make yo" m' of my howse I

weele Banquett heere w''' fresh and staid delights I

the muses musick heer shall cheere o' sprites | neate witt i8(i

the cates must be but meane wher scollers sitt. for thar (ma)de all w'^ courses( o

Moor, how now m' morris FoL. 13 I

moriss. I am a suter to yo'' Lordshipp in behalf of a servaunt of mine. i

moore. the fellow w*^ Long haire good m"" moris i*

Com to me three years hence and then He heere yo" |

7noris I vnderstand yo"" honor but the foolish knave has submitted him self to the |
mercy of a Barber, and is w%ut redy to make a new vow befor your
Lordshipp. heerafter to live Civell

moore. nay then letts talke w''' him pray call him in Enter Faukner. and

Fauk. bless yo'^ honor a new man my lord. officers \

Moore, why sure this not he

Fauk. and yo"^ Lordshipp will [yo"^ L] the Barber shall give you a sample of

my head I am he Infaith my Lord, I am ipse^
Moore, why now thy face is like an honest mans

thou hast plaid well at this new cutt and wonn

Fauk. no my lord Lost all that [god] ever god sent me

Moore god sent thee Into the world as thou art now w"' a short haire. how quickly
are three years ronn out in Newgate

Fauk. I think so my lord, for ther was but a haires length betweene my going

thether. and so long time i

Moor Because I see som grace in thee goe free
Discharge him fellowes farewell m"" moris
[Enter a messenger] thy head is for thy shoulders now more fitt

[heere.] thou hast less haire vppon it but more witt exit

Moris. Did not I tell thee allwaies of thes Locks

Fauk. And the locks were on againe all the goldsmiths in cheapside should not

180 Dyce supplies the S.D. Exeunt Surrey^ Erasmus^ and Attendants, after witt

181 the rule that should mark off the speech is wanting.

182 Moor.'\ Dyce omits. 187 befor] Dyce before 188 live Civell] Dyce leve cavell
191 Dyce supplies is after this (unnecessarily). 206 not] ot doubtful.

. viii] Addition IV (C, E) 87

pick them open, shart. if my haire stand not an end when I looke for

my face in a glass. I am a polecatt heers. a lowsie lest, but if I

notch not that rogue tom barbar that makes me looke thus like a

Brownist. hange me. He be worss to the nitticall knave, then ten aio

tooth drawings [w] heers a head w"* a pox [exit]

Morr : what ailst tho" ? art tho" mad now.

Faulk, mad now ? nayles yf losse of hayre Cannot mad a man —
what Can ? I am deposde : my Crowne is taken from mee
Moore had bin better a Scowrd More ditch, than a notcht
mee thus, does hee begin sheepe sharing w*^ lack Faulkner?

3forr : nay & yo" feede this veyne S', fare yo" well.

Fa/k : why fare well Frost. He goe hang my Selfe out for the —
poll head, make a Sarcen of lack ?

Morr\ tho" desperate knave, for that I See the divell, aao

wholy gettj hold of thee.

Falk : the divelly a dambd rascall

Morr : I charge thee wayte on mee no more : no more,
call mee thy m'^.

Folk : why then a word m"^ Morris,

Morr. He heare no wordes, S^ fare yo" well.

Folk : Sbloud farewell :

Morr : why doest tho° follow [yo"] mee :

Falk'. because Ime an Asse, doe yo" sett yo' shavets vpon mee, & then

cast mee off? must I condole? haue the fates playd the fooles 330

^eepes. \ am I theire Cutt? Now the poore Sconce is taken, must lack
march wth bag & baggage?

Morr .
Falk

yo" Coxcomb.

nay yo" ha poacht mee, yo" ha given mee a hayre, ity here
here.

207 an\ sic. for\ ?^7r altered from ro 211 drawings^ Dyce draweings 212-42 in hand E.

212 ailst\ Dyce ails tho^ .?] query-mark substituted for period.

213 nowf\ query-mark substituted for period. man — ] the dashes here and in 218 are mere flourishes to
II the line. 214 deposde f^ colon substituted for comma. Tnee'\ Dyce me

215 5^<7wr^/] r altered from a : Tiyct scowred 21S /or] Dyce 0/

22g s/iaveis] Dyce shavers mee,] Dyce me 231 weepes.] Dyce IVea^es 233-5 marked for omission.

23s here.] Dyce heare

88 Sir Tho7nas More [Fols. I3^I3*•

Morr : Away yo" kynd [foole] Asse, come S', dry yo'' eyes,

keepe yo' old place & mend theis fooleryes.
Falk : I care not to bee tournd off, and twere a ladder, so it bee in

my humor, or the fates becon to mee ; nay pray S"^, yf the destinyes
® Spin mee a fyne thred, Falkner flyes another pitch : & to 340

avoyd the headach, hereafter before He bee a hayremonger He

I bee a whoremonger. Exeu{

[End of Addition I V.]

236 Asse,] Asse interlined, first s doubtful ; comma after foo/e traceable under the caret-mark
belonging to Asse

239 yf] interlined. 240 The reference mark (presumably to Vi) is partly torn away.

Scs. viii, viii'] Additions IV and V (E, C) 89

© Mess Enter A Messenger to moore. FOL. 13*»

T Goodal my honorable lord the maior of london [his lady]

accompaned w*^ his lady and her traine

are coming hether. and are hard at hand

to feast w**" yo° A seriaunts come before

to tell yo'' Lordshipp of ther neer

aproch
Moore why this is cheerful 1 &c '

why this is cheerfull newes frends goe and Come

Reverend Erasmus whose delitious words 10

express the very soule and lif of witt

newlie toke sad leave of me w'^ teares

trubled the sillver channel! of the Themes

w'^^ glad of such a burden prowdlie sweld

And one her bosom bore him toward the sea

hees gon to roterdam. peace goe w'^ him

he left me heavy when he went from hence

But this recomforts me ? The kind Lo maior

his Britheren Aldermen w*^ ther faire wives

will [fight this] feast this night w'*" vs. why soet should be ao

Addition V.

Lines 9-26 of this insertion were first written on a piece of paper which was pasted over the lower portion
of fol. 14% covering t844-76 of the deleted sc. viii b. Subsequently 1-8 were written up the left margin,
1-5 on original leaf, fol. 14, and 6-8 on the additional slip, now fol. 13*. Lines 1-7 are copied from the draft
on fol. 16'', VI 68-73. From 26 it is evident that the scribe intended his addition to come immediately
before and to be continuous with the original sc. ix (fol. 14^, +878), though he made no attempt to intro-
duce the necessary alterations in the stage direction. Such a crude insertion is, however, impossible since
it leaves no time for the dinner, and the only manner of using the addition is by making it into an
independent scene (sc. viii*), clearly contrary to the intention of the scribe. The position of the addition
is attested by the reference mark, IV 240, V i.

1-26 in hand C.

1-2 it is not quite certain whether the marginal note is in the same hand as the text.

1 Mess\ Dyce omits. 2 Goodal\ second doubtful : Dyce Goedal

3 accompaned} Dyce Accompanied 7 aproch} Dyce aproche

10 Erasmus} r altered ? 1 1 lif} Dyce life

12 ioke} altered from a in darker ink. me} m altered from w in darker ink. Dyce supplies and
after me

19 Britheren} Dyce bretheren

20 fight} f certain, ig doubtful, ht probable ; apparently the scribe was about to commit the
Spoonerism fight this neast soet} i. e. soe 7 should} Dyce shuld

M

-i

90 ^ Sir Thomas More [Fols. i3*%i6'

moores mery hart lives by good Companie
good gentlemen be carefull give great charge
c diet be made daynty for the tast
for of all people that the earth affords
the Londoners fare richest at ther bourds
Com my good fellowes &c '

\End of Addition F.]

25 Londoners] e altered. 26 Com] Dyce Cotne Fol. 13*'' blank.

Scs.viii%ix»] Additions V and VI ( C, B ) 91

® I Enter A Servingman I Fol. 16*

Man wher be theis players

all heare Sir
Man my lord [in poste] is sent for to the courte.

and all the guests doc after supper parte

and for he will not troble you againe

by Me for your Reward a sends 8 angills

w^ many thanks : but supp before you goe,

yt is his will you should be farely entreatid

follow I pray ye
witt this luggins [all] is your neclegens

wanting witts beard brought things into dislike

for other wies the playe had bin all scene

wher now some curius cittisin [dislikte itt,] [dispraisd itt] disgraste itt

and discomendinge ytt. all is dismiste,
vice fore god a sayes true, but heare ye Sirs 8 angells ha

my lord wold neuer giues 8. angells more or [el] les for i a'*

ether yt shold be 3*'. 5" or tenn ^ ther 20^ wantinge suer
witt twenty to one tis soe : I haue a tricke my lord comes

stand a side

lord maier and ladies and the Rest: be patiente

the state hathe sent and I must nedes be gone

[but frollic(^ on] lead on theare : : what seekst thou fellow.

your lordship sent vs 8 angills by your man and I haue

loste one heare amongst the rishes

Addition VI.
Of this addition 1-67 (sc. ix*) are quite clearly marked by C for insertion between scs. ix and x, fol. 17%
tli57. 68-73 aJ'e a rough draft of a passage which re-appears as V 2-7.

1 prefixed by C.
2-73 in hand B.

2 wher\ Dyce where 3 htare\ Dyce Heere 7 Me\ ^^ altered from /?

10 pray\ T>ycepraye 14 disgraste itt\ interlined. disgrasie] Dyce disgraiste

18 ether\ first e doubtful, ? altered from : Dyce other ther\ Dyce emend, thers (unnecessarily).

stier'\ Dyce sure

21-35 marked for omission. The absence in this passage of speakers' names (which Dyce supplies)

shows that this scribe at least wrote his text first and inserted his speakers afterwards (cf. *649-58 marg.

and +1955-63). 23 frollic^on] on doubtful, but so Dyce, who retains the deleted words.

M 3

92

Sir Thomas More

[FoLS. i6».''

8 angills hoo dilHuerd yt I sent them ten.

Lord

1 my lord dilliuerd yt. anon they shall haue too more.

thats more then we hard before my lord.

am I a man of [Righte and] equetie

equallie to deuide true Righte his [h]owne

and shall I haue disseauers in my house

goe pull the cote ouer the varlets eares.

ther ar too many suche : [ile Make them fuer by one]

giue them ther dewe. lead one awaye,

[come fellowes goe w*^ me]

In haist to cownsell whats the busnes now

that all so late his highnes sends for me.

what sekst thou fellow
witt nay nothinge. your lordship sent 8 angills by your man

and I haue lost too of them in the Rishes
Lord wytt looke to thatt. 8 angells I did send them tenn

ho gauie yt them
Man I my lord I had no more aboute me

but buy and buy they shall Risseaue the rest
Lord well witt twas wieslye donne thou plaist witt well endede

not to be thus disseauid of thy Righte.

am I a man by offis truely ordaind

equally to deuide true Righte his owne

and shall I haue disseauers in my house

then what availes my bowntie. when such seruants

disseaue the pore [Risseauer] of what the m"^ giues

30

Enter Moore
^th attendaunts
w"^ purss & mace

40

50

26 ho6\ there is a w prefixed in modern ink : Dyce whoo
31 disseauers\ Dyce diseauers 33-5 s.D. in hand C.

33 ar\ interlined. Make\ M altered ? 34 attendaunts\ Dyce Attendants

36 Lord] L altered from m and d altered from e apparently ; but the change may be the other way.
cownsell] Dyce counsell busnes] Dyce busines

42 ho] Dyce Who (cf. 1. 26). gauie] sic. 46 disseauid] Dyce disseaued

47 ordaind] after the second d there is something deleted in modem ink ; it seems likely that
the scribe wrote ordained, but formed the last letter badly, altered eXo d and omitted to delete his final d

48 true] the scribe seems to have begun by writing /?, but it was sufficiently like a / for him to leave
it unaltered when he decided that true was the desirable word.

50 my] m has four minims. 51 Risseauer] au doubtful. what] w altered?

Sc.ix»] Addition VI (B) 93

goe one and pull his cote ouer his [h]eares

ther ar too manye such : giue them ther Righte

witt let thie fellowes thanke the twas well dunn

thou now disserueste to match w* ladye wisdome
Vice god a mersye wytt : sir you had a maister Sir thomas more more but now we

shall haue more
lugg god blesse him I wold ther weare more of his minde a loues

our qualletie and yit hees a larnid man and knows what

the world is 60

clo. well a kinde man and more loving then [o"^ owne lorde,]

many other, but I thinke we ha mett w*^ the first [ ]

luggins first sarud his man that had o' angills and he maye FOL. IG'*

chaunce dine w'^ duke homphrye to morrow beinge turnde

a waye to daye, come lets goe
clo and many such Rewards wold make vs all ride and

horsse vs w*^ the best nags in smith felde /

my honnorable lord the maier of london

accompanied w* his ladye and hir traine

ar comynge and ar hard at hande ^o

to feaste w'** you. a sargins come before

[as sent] to tell your lordship [of his cominge] [that they are at]

of ther neare aproche / [hande /]

\Etid of Addition VI.]

52 eares] an initial h has been deleted both in old and modem ink.

53 iAem ther^ r was apparently altered from /, the dot of which was allowed to remain till deleted in
modem ink.

55 disserueste] the second e is apparently inserted and partly covers the following s. Dyce supplies
the S.D. Exit Moore with Attend, after wisdome

56 Sir thomas more] interlined. 56-7 the rule between these lines was drawn in error.
58 more] interlined. minde] n altered, perhaps only touched up.

61 the last three words were immediately (and wisely) deleted by the writer, but they have been
crossed out again in modem ink.

62 an erasure at end. The sense of 62-3 seems to be defective. 63 sarud] Dyce serud
64 homphrye] first h altered ; ry altered or perhaps touched up.

67 Dyce supplies s.D. Exeunt. dSttx felde / 69-73 not printed by Dyce ; cf. V 2-7.

73 Rest offol. I e*' blank.

\

FR Sir Thomas More (Old play)
2868 The book of Sir Thomas

Al More
1911

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